New Species
by IcecreamSyndrome
Summary: My mother is a human and my father is a Mew. But what does that make me?   With Team Rocket nipping at my heels and my struggle to control the move Transform, what else could go wrong?   Well, I have been feeling more like a Pokemon than usual...
1. Prologue

**New Species**

**Hello again everybody! Welcome to my first published muti-chapter fic! As an added bonus, I'm going to post chapter 1 later today, so be sure to review and let me know what you think! **

**WARNING! Yes, there will be mentioning of Pokémon/human relations, but only mentioned as part of the plot and not gone into in detail. If this offends you, please do not read this fanfic. You have been warned. **

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Pokémon and I still can't make the stupid accent on the "e" without the computers help. XD**

**Prologue**

The sun was shining over Pallet Town, as a fifteen-year-old boy was packing for his long overdue Pokémon journey. Shoving several items into his bag he suddenly felt something brush against his back and then flop onto his shoulder. With a sigh he pushed his tail off and it quickly resumed its normal position behind him. After zipping up his bag and tossing it onto his bed, he grabbed a large leather coat off the coat rack and proceeded trying to shove his long pink tail inside it. His tail on the other hand was not cooperating, waving every which way, like a Pokémon trying to escape a Pokeball.

_Pokémon,_ he thought to himself, running his fingers through the pink hair that framed his face. His tail, meanwhile, had just knocked over a lamp. "Crap!" he cried out, hurrying over to where the lamp had just smashed into a million pieces. _Please don't let her have heard that,_ he silently prayed.

"I heard that!" a female voice called from downstairs.

_Crap._

"Ken, did you break another lamp?"

"No, Mom," he replied, carefully picking up the remains of the lamp.

"Did your tail break another lamp?" his mother laughed.

Ken sighed. "Maybe," he replied, hurrying to pick up the shards of glass without cutting himself. He heard his mother tapping her foot impatiently. "Yes," he finally admitted. He then heard footsteps and knew she was coming up the stairs.

His door opened with a click and his mother walked inside. She stood there in her apron with her arms crossed, her brown eyes full of irritation. Then her gaze softened and she wrapped her son in a big hug.

"It's ok," she assured him softly. "We can get another lamp."

"I don't want another lamp," Ken replied angrily. "I want another me!"

"Now Ken," his mother scolded. "What would your father say if he heard that?"

"Mew," Ken replied bitterly.

His mother smiled, although her eyes were filled with sadness. "I know."


	2. Chapter 1: I Could Never Be With You

Chapter 1: I Could Never Be With You

Eighteen years ago a man came to Pallet Town. He was tall and handsome with pink hair and the most perfect blue eyes anyone had ever seen. The young women of Pallet instantly fell head over heels for him, but he never spoke to them, or to anyone else for that matter. No one knew who he was or where he'd come from, and if spoken to, he'd just turn his head to the side as if not understanding what was being said. The locals quickly reasoned that he must be a foreigner who didn't speak their language, but since he never spoke they were unable to discern his native tongue.

One day a woman sat in the garden, listening to the melody of a music box, when the man approached her, as if drawn by the sound. He stared at the item, examining it from every which way, a look of puzzlement on his face.

"It's a music box," she told him.

"Mew?" he asked, his voice sort of an airy singsong.

"Yes," she replied with a smile. "It's said to be the favorite of Mew."

The man and the woman regarded each other for a moment, and as she stared into his baby blue eyes, she saw a look of understanding come across his face.

"Mew," he said with a nod and a smile.

From that day on she spent each and every day with him, and although he never spoke, one thing became quite obvious: they were falling in love.

One day the woman decided to properly introduce herself to him.

"I'm Rika," she said, pointing to herself.

He looked confused for a moment, before comprehension filled his bright blue eyes. "Mew," he said, pointing to himself.

Rika shook her head. "No, you can't be called Mew. That's the name of a Po—" But her sentence was cut short as he kissed her.

Rika and Mew soon became inseparable, and although he never spoke to her she had no doubt that he loved her. He even moved in with her and was by her side always. Rika had dreams of spending her whole life with him, of marrying him.

One day the two of them got closer than expected and after the deed was done Mew's eyes widened and filled with sadness. He looked at Rika with an expression resembling that of a child who knows he's done something very bad, then leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

_I'm sorry,_ a voice in Rika's head spoke softly. Then he grabbed his clothes and ran out the door, and she never saw him again. Her heart ached for him, she longed for him by her side. These feelings intensified a couple of months later when she found out she was pregnant. Pregnant with his child.

Sadness and confusion plagued her mind. Why would he leave her all alone? Nine months later she got her answer.

"Push! Come on, Rika, you can do it! Just one more big push!"

"I can't!" she screamed through tears. "Is it supposed to hurt this much?"

"That's why they call it labor, honey," Rika's mother, and soon to be grandmother, replied.

Rika smiled at her mom before pain hit her once again. "Ahhhhhh!"

"Ok, that's it! It's out!" the doctor announced. He turned to Rika and smiled. "We just have to cut the umbilical cord, the hard parts over." Rika breathed a sigh of relief. But it was short lived.

"What's that?"

"That's the umbilical cord."

"No, THAT'S the umbilical cord!"

"What is it?"

"I don't know. It looks like a…tail?"

Rika listened to the doctors discussing her baby, her heart pounding. "Let me see my baby!" she demanded, struggling to sit up as one of the doctors held her down.

"Not yet, you need to rest," he instructed her.

"Let me see my baby!" Rika shrieked franticly.

"Meeeew!" came the cry of the child as it took its first breath, a cry unlike any Rika had ever heard.

"Congratulations, Rika," a doctor said, not meeting her gaze. "It's a boy."

As he handed the blue bundle to Rika, she slowly pulled back the blanket to reveal her baby. She gasped. A pair of pink fuzzy ears stuck out from the top of the baby's head, thin wisps of pink hair covered its scalp. The baby's eyes were large and blue, unnaturally blue. Its feet were large and furry, resembling a rabbits, and a long pink tail moved gently from side to side.

"What is that thing, Rika?" her mother asked, horrified. "Who's the father?"

"Mew," Rika whispered, finally understanding.

Rika kept the baby hidden from the world, not allowing anyone to see it. She called him Ken, and loved him dearly, trying her best to explain to him why he couldn't go outside and play with the other children, or why, when he turned ten, she wouldn't let him leave on his Pokémon journey. But she couldn't protect him forever, this she knew. He would have to leave someday and see the world. That day had finally come.

His name was Ken. He had large blue eyes and pink hair like his father, with a pair of pink feline ears sticking up from the top of his head. His feet were large, furry, and irregularly shaped, so he had custom shoes to fit them. His long pink tail seemed to have a mind of its own and was always breaking things. He was the offspring of a human and a Mew that had taken human form. He was a new species.

Authors Notes: Well, that's chapter 1. Yes, all chapters will be named after songs or song lyrics. Also, from here on the story will closely follow the journey of Ken, the Mew hybrid. Not too bad for a Pokémon/human pairing, is it? I hope that factor doesn't dissuade any of you from reading the fanfic. ^-^;

Please feel free to review! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 2: Tell Everybody I'm on My Way

Chapter 2: Tell Everybody I'm On My Way

"Ken, you don't need this," Rika sighed as she noticed the leather coat her son had been trying to put on.

"Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea what people would say if they saw me like this?" Ken retorted irritably as he felt his furry ears.

Rika sighed, placing her hand gently on her sons shoulder. "You shouldn't be ashamed of what you are. I'm certainly not."

Ken rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's why you never let me go anywhere."

Her eyes filled with tears and she pulled him close in a tight hug. "Ken, I could never be ashamed of you," she whispered softly. "All I want is for you to be happy and safe. You know that, right?"

He nodded slowly, tears threatening to well up in his own eyes. No matter what, he knew his mother only wanted what was best for him. "I know, Mom."

Gently taking the coat from him, Rika glanced over at his bed where his backpack lay on its side, already packed for his journey. "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" she laughed. "Professor Oak isn't expecting any Trainers until later this afternoon."

Ken shook his head, his ears twitching impatiently. "The sooner I get there, the fewer people who have to see me," he replied, picking up his bag and swinging it over one shoulder. _As long as she didn't already tell Professor Oak about me-_

"But Ken, I already told Professor Oak you would stop by later today!"

_Crap, _Ken thought. _Well, as long as she didn't tell him what I am-_

"And don't worry! I already told him what you are!"

_Crap!_ Ken felt his face grow hot with embarrassment.

"It's ok, Ken," his mother assured him. "Professor Oak is the leading expert on Pokémon, so of course he'd know how to handle this kind of thing. I've consulted him about raising you many times before!"

"Mom!"

"He helped me find shoes that would fit you-"

"Mom!" Ken cried out in frustration. "I get it OK? I'm sure Professor Oak was really helpful, but…" Ken swallowed, unable to bring himself to ask the question that had haunted him for so long.

His mother nodded slowly, knowing how frustrated he must be not knowing what he was, and having no father around to help him. "At least have some breakfast first. I made your favorite! Lum berry pancakes!"

Ken managed a small smile and followed his mother downstairs where breakfast was waiting.

Lum berry pancakes really were his favorite, although he couldn't explain why. There was just something about the mix of flavors within the Lum berry that delighted his taste buds more than any other fruit.

"So, have you decided what Pokémon you want?" his mother asked.

"Not yet," Ken admitted, pushing a slice of pancake around his plate with his fork. "What if they don't like me?"

"Oh, Ken! Of course they'll like you!" she assured him. "Trust me, a Pokémon is a friend for life!"

"Like Dad?" Ken asked sarcastically, taking another bite of his breakfast.

Rika sighed. "Sweetheart, he's a Pokémon and I'm a human. You know it wouldn't have worked out."

Ken nodded, still not really accepting his mothers reasoning, although he knew what she meant. He'd known how the world viewed him all his life and why his mother chose to keep him hidden. But still, he couldn't understand why his father had just left like that.

Ken finished his pancakes as quickly as he could, depositing his plate in the sink and pausing to wash his hands and face, which were sticky with maple syrup.

"Promise me you'll call once in a while, OK?" Rika asked, full of maternal pride.

"I promise, Mom," Ken replied, giving his mother one last hug before walking out the door into the morning light.

Authors notes: Short chapter and nothing much happened! xD Don't worry, next chapters up! I had to post both because Ken threatened to go on strike if I didn't get him out of the house! xD

Ken: *holds up petition sign* Do I get my Pokémon NOW?'

Me: Yes Ken, you sure do!

Enjoy!


	4. Chapter 3: Suddenly It Changes

Chapter 3: Suddenly It Changes

Kens ears pricked up at all the new sounds, his eyes taking in every detail. He had never been outside before and found the vast amount of sensory information almost alarming. Everything was so bright and vivid and beautiful! He tilted his head to the side to better hear a Pidgey singing.

"Little Pidgey, sing this song! Doo-dah! Doo-dah!"

_Oookkay, that didn't sound right! _Ken thought to himself, shaking his head. _I could have sworn that Pidgey just talked…no, I must be imagining things!_ Ken laughed at how silly the idea of a talking Pokémon sounded and continued on to Professor Oak's lab.

He opened the door to find… the lab was empty. No Professor Oak to be found, not even one of his assistants. _Maybe I am here too early,_ Ken thought to himself. He paused as he noticed three Pokeballs sitting on a nearby table. _The starter Pokémon! _Kens tail began to wave about excitedly as he approached the table. They sat there in a neat row, each one marked with a different symbol used to identify what Pokémon was inside. _I'm sure Professor Oak wouldn't mind if I took a quick look. After all, I'm going to have to pick one anyway, _Ken reasoned, reaching for the nearest Pokeball, the one with the leaf symbol.

The Pokeball opened and the Pokémon inside appeared in a burst of light. It was a Bulbasaur, although a small one, and had a large heart-shaped spot on its head. It looked up at Ken and smiled. "Hi!"

"Ahhhh!" Ken screamed, stumbling backwards in surprise. _Did that Bulbasaur just talk to me?_ He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, the pain that resulted informing him that he was, indeed, awake.

"What's wrong?" the Bulbasaur asked, tilting her head to the side. It was a female Bulbasaur, this Ken was positive of, and not just because it sounded feminine.

_It looks like a girl, _Ken thought. _Wait, what? What in the world does that mean? _He shook his head in confusion. All Bulbasaur look alike, so what in the world did that mean? Maybe it was the heart-shaped spot on its forehead…no, that wasn't it-

"Hello?" the Bulbasaur asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Are you OK?"

"Not really, I think I'm having a nervous breakdown," Ken replied, putting a hand to his head.

"Oh. Well, when you're done with that, do you wanna play?"

Ken stared at the Pokémon in disbelief. Were they actually having a conversation? He cautiously took a step towards her. "Hello?"

"Hi, I'm Sora!" she replied happily. "Who are you?"

"Ok, I'm losing it," Ken muttered, shaking his head. "I'm totally losing it!"

Sora tilted her head to the side in confusion. "That's a funny name! Hi, Totally-Losing-It!"

Ken turned to the giggling Bulbasaur, still unable to believe what he was hearing. Slowly, carefully, he reached out and placed his hand on her head. She stopped laughing and began to nuzzle his hand affectionately. He'd never seen a Pokémon up close before, let alone touched one, and found the experience to be very exciting. Suddenly he began to feel very strange. His back began to swell, his tail was absorbed into his spine, his arms and legs became shorter, and he began to shrink. All the while this was happening his body began to glow with a bright light. In seconds he was a Bulbasaur.

"Wow! How'd you do that?" Sora squealed excitedly, jumping down from the table and standing next to him.

"I don't know!" Ken cried out in fear and confusion. He closed his eyes, praying that he'd come out of whatever sort of temporary insanity he'd developed. Suddenly, he felt something nudge him. Opening his eyes, he found that Sora was now poking him with one of her paws, as if testing to see if he was real or not. _Man, do I know how you feel,_ Ken thought to himself in dismay.

"Sorry!" she laughed, pulling her paw away. "This is just so cool!"

Ken rolled his eyes. "Not exactly the word I'd use."

"Yes, thank you for telling me," came the sound of Professor Oaks voice from the back room, where Trainers Pokémon were kept. "Ken is a rather impatient boy, isn't he? Of course, have a good day, Rika!" Professor Oak hung up the phone and headed into his lab, chuckling to himself. _New Trainers are always so eager to get their first Pokémon!_

"Professor Oak!" Ken cried out in relief, dashing over to the man as fast as his new legs could carry him. "Look, you've gotta help me! I have no clue-"

"Whoa! Calm down, Bulbasaur!" Professor Oak laughed, patting Ken on the head. "What are you doing outside your Pokeball?"

"Huh?" Ken was puzzled. Why couldn't Professor Oak understand him?

"He thinks you're me!" Sora laughed, trotting up to Ken and nuzzling his shoulder. "Anyone who can't tell a male Bulbasaur from a female one is blind in my opinion!"

Professor Oak's eyes widened at the sight of the second, smaller Bulbasaur. He turned from one Bulbasaur to the other, to the empty Pokeball on the table, and finally to the backpack that lay abandoned on the floor nearby. "Oh, dear. Ken, is that you?"

"Bulba!" the larger of the two Bulbasaur replied, nodding its head enthusiastically. "Bulba! Bulbasaur-"

"Hold on, Ken," Professor Oak interrupted. "I can't understand a word your saying!" Ken tilted his head to the side, looking confused. "Just try to remain calm and visualize your original form."

Ken reluctantly closed his eyes and focused on his human self. He began to feel strange again as his tail shot out behind him, the bulb on his back shrank and faded away, and he grew taller and shifted to a bipedal stance. He was back to his old self within moments. "What the heck was that about?" he demanded.

"Calm down, Ken, let me explain," Professor Oak said, attempting to calm the furious and clearly frightened teenager. "One of a Mews most basic attacks is a move called Transform. Transform allows the user to change into a copy of their opponent, right down to having the same moveset. Research is currently being done on Transforms other potential uses, such as changing into objects, or even human beings."

"I suppose that's how Dad managed to disguise himself as a human?" Ken asked irritably, his ears twitching.

"Most likely," Professor Oak agreed. "Mew rarely show their true form to humans."

"What's he saying?" Sora asked, placing her front paws on Ken's leg.

Ken recoiled at her touch, then slowly relaxed when he realized that he wasn't changing. Gently, he reached down and picked up Sora, who seemed delighted to have gotten his attention.

"Well, Bulbasaur seems to like you very much!" Professor Oak chuckled. "Hmmm, I wonder if it's because you Transformed into one. Perhaps she views you as one of her own kind!"

"Say _what_? I'm not a Pokémon!" Ken insisted, placing Sora on the floor, who proceeded to nuzzle his leg.

"Ken, that's not what I meant! What I mean is…"

Ken barely heard Professor Oak's flustered apology, instead crouching down to pet the affectionate Bulbasaur on the head. His first friend. "Whatta ya think, Sora?" he asked with a smile. "Wanna come with me on my journey?"

The Pokémon's eyes lit up. "YES!" she cried, jumping into his arms and climbing onto his shoulder. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Professor Oak stared, feeling rather lost, as a conversation consisting of several "Mews" and "Bulbas" made absolutely no sense to him. "Ken," he said slowly, hoping to not alarm the boy, "try paying close attention to what you're saying for a moment."

"Mew Mew Mew?" Ken asked, clapping a hand over his mouth as he realized what he'd just said. Suddenly a high-pitched giggle escaped his throat, somewhat melodic and clearly not human. "What's happening to me Professor?"

"Calm down, Ken, everything's going to be blahblah."

"What?" Ken felt inside one of his ears but found no sign of blockage.

"I said, everything's going to be ok," Professor Oak repeated. "You are part Mew, after all. It's perfectly logical that you would be able to speak and understand Pokémon language." Suddenly his eyes lit up. "This could be a wonderful opportunity!"

Ken flinched as he heard this, eyeing the professor suspiciously as he headed over to his desk. Ken was prepared to take his Bulbasaur and run if he was going to be made into some sort of lab rat. _Run! _a voice in his head screamed, followed by a new command. _Transform! Transform now! _ A tingle flowed through his body as he fought the urge to Transform. The desire to do so was so overpowering that it seemed almost… instinctual.

"Here is your Pokedex and Pokeballs- Ken, are you all right?"

"Huh?" Ken opened his eyes to find Professor Oak staring at him, a concerned look on his face. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," Ken muttered, gratefully accepting them and shoving them into his backpack.

"Here's my number in case you need me for anything," Professor Oak explained, handing Ken a slip of paper, which he placed in his jeans pocket. "Also, if you wouldn't mind calling me once in a while, I'd love to hear how you and your Pokémon are getting along," he admitted, looking rather embarrassed. "After all, it isn't every day I meet a young man who can talk to Pokémon!" Professor Oak laughed, then turned serious. "Of course, I won't tell anyone else about you, not even the other regional professors. You have my word that anything we discuss will remain completely confidential."

Ken sighed in relief. "Sure, I'd be glad to," he agreed, unable to believe he'd been afraid that Professor Oak was going to study him in the lab. "Thank you very much, Professor." Patting Sora on the head, he turned and headed out the door where new adventures awaited him.

Authors notes: Well, that's chapter 3! I hope everyone found it more interesting than chapter 2 and will continue to read and enjoy the story.

Me: So Ken, are you happy now?

Ken: I guess so, but what in the world is happening to me?

Me: Well Ken, I guess you'll just have to wait and find out! And that goes for all my readers! :)

I hope you're enjoying the fanfic and please don't forget to review! Thank you!


	5. Chapter 4: Let's Get It Started In Here

Chapter 4: Let's Get It Started In Here

"So, what kind of Pokémon are you anyway, Totally-Loosing-It?" Sora asked, as they headed along the route from Pallet Town to Viridian City.

"My name is Ken, and I'm not a Pokémon!"

"Are you sure?" Sora asked, batting at one of his ears with her paw.

"YES," Ken growled, flicking his tail in annoyance.

"But, are you _positive?_ I mean, you look like a Pokémon, you talk like a Pokémon, you even _smell _like a Pokémon!"

_What in the world does that mean?_ Ken wondered.

"It means you smell like a Pokémon!" Sora repeated, as if that in itself was a sufficient answer.

_Did she just hear my thoughts?_ Ken wondered as he glanced at his Bulbasaur, who was perched on his shoulder. _Sora? Hello?_ The little Pokémon stared at him, clearly not hearing anything. _I guess I just imagined it. _

"What's your problem? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, frowning. "Jeez, Totally-Loosing-It! You sure are a weird Pokémon!"

"For the last time, my name is Ken and I'M NOT A POKEMON!" he cried out, his tail whipping around in frustration. He sighed, attempting to explain things to her as calmly as he could. "My mother is a human, and my father is a Mew, ok?"

Her eyes widened. "REALLY?"

Ken nodded, thankful she was finally getting it. "Yeah, really."

"But, doesn't that make you at least half Pokémon?"

Ken nearly tripped over his own feet in surprise. Normally he would have dismissed something so ridiculous, but recent events left him doubtful. _Does it? _He glanced behind him at his long pink tail, which waved from side to side. _Maybe I'm not as human as I thought. _

"Ken!"

_Finally, she gets my name right. _

"Ken! Watch out for that-"

"Ahh!" There was a thud as the boy landed face first in the dirt, having tripped over a fallen tree branch.

Laughter rang through the air as a Rattata jumped out of the bushes and began sniffing at him curiously. Ken flinched as the rodents ever twitching nose came in contact with his skin, sending a tingling sensation through his body.

_Oh, crap! It's happening again!_ Ken realized as purple and white fur began to sprout, whiskers grew from the side of his face, and his front teeth grew longer and sharper. His body began to glow and moments later he was a Rattata.

The rather confused first Rattata let out a squeak of terror before fleeing back into the bushes.

_Run! Hide!_ Kens mind screamed as the rodents' instincts clicked on. _Run! Run! Run!_ His thoughts a panicky blur, Ken quickly dashed off into the tall grass.

"Ken, wait!" Sora cried, but he didn't seem to hear her or understand. Sighing she glanced over to that Thing he always carried around, which lay abandoned on its side. She'd seen him place things inside it before, maybe she could find something that would be helpful! She padded over to it and nudged it, but to no avail. The Thing was closed and she had no idea how to open it. With a groan she dashed off after her friend, wondering why he couldn't just tell her where he was going like a reasonable Pokémon!

After what felt like forever, Ken finally began to relax and slowed his pace to a gentle walk. Sniffing the air he picked up the scent of other Rattata, his family. His ears twitched, ever vigilant for any sign of predators. Sniffing the air again, he caught the scent of berries. His stomach growling, he took off in the general direction of the smell.

Ken came to an Oran berry bush, which several other of his kind were already feeding from. Dashing over and taking one of the round blue berries in his paws, he joined his Rattata brethren in rapidly gnawing at the fruit. After all, who knew when he'd get his next meal? If you were a Rattata you took what you could, when you could. After downing several berries, Ken began to search for a burrow where he could be safe, but without any luck.

_This isn't good, _he thought to himself in panic. Every Rattata knew that you stayed out of sight as much as possible. If you stayed out in the open too long, Ekans or Meowth might get you, or a human could come along and catch you in one of those red and white balls! Shivering at the thought, Ken resumed his search for shelter. He found some burrows, but they were already full to the brim with Rattata, who bared their teeth at him when he tried to enter. Discouraged, Ken tried to recall where his burrow was, but ended up drawing a blank. _Why can't I remember?_ he wondered in confusion.

Something… something wasn't right. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that something wasn't the way it was supposed to be, but what? He stiffened as he heard the sound of footsteps drawing near. Having been caught up in his own thoughts he hadn't even noticed, and now it was too late. Too late to run, too late to hide. He would have to face whatever it was head on. Dropping down into a battle stance, he bared his teeth at whatever happened to come out of the bushes.

"Blah Rattata!" a small human boy exclaimed, his voice full of excitement. "Blah blahblah blah blah!" Ken had no idea what the human was saying, but stiffened when he saw him reach for one of the red and white balls. "Blah, Charmander!" the boy tossed the ball and a Charmander appeared in a burst of light. "Blah Ember!"

"Right!" the Pokémon agreed, launching several small flames out of his mouth at Ken, who barely managed to avoid the attack.

Ken stared at the Charmander in shock. Did he actually understand what the boy was saying? Scrambling to his feet he realized he had to fight back, or else face being held captive by this stupid kid who couldn't even talk right! Opening his jaws wide, he carefully aimed a Hyper Fang at the Charmander and sunk his sharp teeth into the Pokémon's side. His opponent cried out in pain and surprise, quickly knocking him aside with a swipe of his claws. Ken tumbled to the ground winded and gasping for breath. _What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be this tired already!_ Ken realized as he struggled to his feet. _It's like I've never battled before…_

Kens eyes widened as realization struck him, memories of who and what he really was came flooding back. He knew he had to avoid being captured by this boy, but he couldn't just Transform right in front of him!

"Blah Ember!" the boy commanded.

Ken turned and ran out of the way, the flames catching his hind foot in the process. Ignoring the pain, Ken ran as fast as he could into the tall grass, the Trainers footsteps thundering behind him. Jumping into a nearby bush he hid there, his heart thumping furiously, until he heard the boy and his Charmander walk out of earshot. Breathing heavily, Ken glanced at his right hind foot, the bottom of which appearing to have sustained a burn. He turned and began licking the wound furiously, the stinging sensation threatening to cause him to break down in tears. _Stop that! _he scolded himself. _You are not a Pokémon! _He attempted to stand up, but the pain that shot through him persuaded him otherwise. He quickly laid back down, feeling defeated. Beginning to feel drowsy, Ken gladly let sleep take him.

Authours notes: No, Sora cant speak english, its just that Ken can understand her. Ken is also able to speak Pokermon languge in addition to english, so if hes talking to a Pokemon you can safely asume he isnt speaking english. Just thought I'd clarify that in order to avoid confusion. If there is anything you dont understand feel free to PM me and I'll try to answer any quetions you may have.


	6. Chapter 5: In My Dreams I'm Not the Same

Authors notes: Hello again everybody and welcome to the first set of paired chapters in New Species! As evidenced by their titles, these chapters should be read together, so I'm going to post them together for your convenience. :) There will be other chapters like these in the future so let me know what you think! :)

Chapter 5: In My Dreams I'm Not the Same

Ken felt something nudge him in his sleep. At first, he thought it was his mother, but then he remembered how he had left on his journey, so it couldn't possibly be her. His next thought was that the Trainer from before had found him and his eyes shot open in fear, only to be greeted by a familiar face.

"Sora!" He attempted to get up, but was stopped by a sudden pain in his foot.

"Hold still!" she scolded, coming over to look at his hind foot where the Charmander had burned him. Sniffing at it, she turned to him and said, "You should give it a good licking!"

"Thanks for the advice," he grumbled, turning his attention back to his current predicament. He noticed worriedly that he was still a Rattata. _How long have I been like this?_ The fear of not being able to change back sent a shiver down his spine. Concentrating, he quickly changed back to his human form, much to his relief. Slowly he stood up, only to be met with a burning pain in his foot once more. _I can't stay here!_ he reminded himself as he slowly and painfully began to walk. _I have to get to a Pokémon Center or something! _He cringed as he realized that a Pokémon Center was the first thing that popped into his head rather than a hospital.

"You're limping," Sora pointed out, following after him.

"I know that," Ken growled, shooting her an irritated glance. He paused a minute, realizing he had forgotten something. "Sora, do you know where my… um… Thing is?"

"Sure! It's right where you left it! Follow me!" She moved in front of him, moving slowly so he could keep up.

_That's strange,_ Ken thought as he followed after his Bulbasaur. _Why couldn't I think of the word "backpack"? And how did Sora know that that's what I was talking about? Do Pokémon not have a word for backpack, or just not know what one is? _He thought back to his encounter with the boy from earlier and how he could only understand a very small amount of what he had said. Perhaps Pokémon weren't naturally able to understand humans and had to learn over time. He'd have to ask Sora about it later.

"Here it is!" she announced as they finally made it back to where Ken had tripped over the tree branch in the first place. Ken sighed in relief that no one had taken it, and after swinging it over one shoulder, kept walking. Sora scampered after him, a concerned look on her face. "What are you going to do now, Ken?"

"I'm going to get to a Pokémon Center where I can rest and get my foot looked at," he replied. "And don't say I'm going there because I'm a Pokémon, cause I'm not!"

Sora followed along quietly behind Ken, not saying a word. She had no idea what a Pokémon Center was, but if it would make her friend better that was good enough for her. She watched sadly as she saw her friend wince from the pain, wishing she could help. "You know, Ken, when Pokémon get injured they eat berries!"

"Well, maybe they do, but I'M NOT A-" Ken stopped. There were a bunch of Lum berries in his backpack, his favorite fruit. Berries had all kinds of different effects on Pokémon when eaten, Lum berries being known to treat any kind of status ailment! How could he have forgotten? Still, would they work on him? He was part Pokémon, after all. Ken unzipped his backpack, pulled out a small handful of Lum berries, and popped them into his mouth. Instantly, he felt the pain beginning to fade away, a soft glow washed over him, and the pain was gone. Carefully, he put some weight on his foot, and felt none of the previous burning and stinging. "Thank you, Sora," he said softly, patting her on the head with gratitude.

Sora smiled and climbed up onto Kens shoulder and the two of them resumed their trek to Viridian City.

Still, Ken couldn't get his encounter with that kid out of his head. If that was what it was like to be weakened for capture, then maybe he didn't want to catch Pokémon after all. Ever since he'd started interacting with Pokémon he'd felt… weird. He didn't feel like a Trainer training Pokémon, he felt more like…

_Just say it, Ken! _he shouted at himself mentally. _Say it already!_

The truth was, he felt like a Pokémon.

"Ken, are you all right?" Sora asked, gently tapping at one of his furry ears with her paw. "You don't look so good."

"Sora," he asked, unsure of how to say it. "Do you know what a Pokémon Trainer is?"

Sora blinked. "Sure, I do! Everyone does! A Pokémon Trainer is supposed to raise Pokémon so we can get stronger! Then we get to battle in competitions!"

Ken stared at her. Was it possible that Pokémon actually _liked _that kind of thing? "What do you think about them, Sora?"

"I don't know," she replied with a shrug. "I mean, on one hand, it's great because you get stronger and stuff, but on the other hand, I don't know if I'd like to be ordered around like that and kept in a ball all the time!"

Kens stomach began doing flip-flops. He hesitated at what he was about to ask, but knew that he had to know. "How do you feel about me, Sora? I mean, what am I to you?" He figured he already knew the answer, but he had to hear her say it.

"You're my friend of course!" Sora replied with a laugh. "I haven't met many other Pokémon besides Charmander and Squirtle, so I'm really glad I met you!" She snuggled happily into Kens shoulder, oblivious to the troubled expression on her friends face.

_So, it's true, _he realized. _She thinks of me as a fellow Pokémon, not her Trainer. _Ken gently ran his hand through his hair, stopping when he came to one of his furry ears. _Maybe she's right. _

Ken sighed, pushing the thought to the back of his mind. He suddenly felt strangely tired and just wanted to get to Viridian City to rest for a while and figure things out. Relief washed over him when, a few minutes later, the entrance to Viridian City was in sight.

"Wow," Sora marveled, her eyes wide. "This is amazing! I've never been to a place like this before!"

A smile slowly crept its way across Kens face. "Neither have I."

Viridian wasn't a very big city, really, but it was certainly a big change from the quiet Pallet Town. Ken and Sora stared in wonder at the many buildings, so different from what they had known all their lives. In that moment Ken remembered one of the main reasons he had wanted to go on a journey in the first place. It was wonderful to travel and see new places.

Several people paused to stare at Ken, and for a moment, he stared back, unsure of what to do and growing more humiliated by the second. As a woman slowly reached for her camera, Ken quickly snapped back to reality and made a beeline for the Pokémon Center, unfortunately not before a picture was taken.

Hurrying into the Pokémon Center proved to be no more casual, as Ken was immediately met with several stares, open mouths, and pointing. Ken felt his ears twitch in embarrassment, which only resulted in several excited whispers and even more pointing.

_Ok, _he told himself, _just act normal and they'll leave you alone. _This proved to be useless when, a few seconds later, a small boy grabbed onto Kens tail and gave it a sharp yank.

"Mommy it's real! Mommy it's real!" he cried excitedly, completely oblivious to the pain he was causing the owner of the tail.

"Billy, no!" a blond haired woman cried, dashing over and prying the ever moving pink tail out of the child's grasp. Taking the boy firmly by the hand, she led him over to the other end of the Pokémon Center without so much as an apology, a look of fear on her face.

Sora looked uneasy and Ken gently placed a hand on her forehead to assure her that he was fine and there was nothing to be afraid of. As he approached the desk Nurse Joy watched him carefully, a look of uncertainty on her face.

"Hi, I'd like to get a room for the night," Ken explained, hoping he wasn't freaking the woman out. "And some food for Sora if you have any," he added as she stared at him, a confused look on her face.

"A room for the night?" Nurse Joy asked with a frown.

Ken nodded. Although he knew it couldn't be more than 7:00, he still felt strangely exhausted. Glancing at the clock on a nearby wall his eyes widened when he saw that it was only 5:30. _What's wrong with me? _he wondered, realizing that he was feeling drowsier by the minute. "I'm not feeling very well," he muttered, his tail gently swaying from side to side in an uncharacteristically sluggish manner.

Nurse Joy nodded and quickly showed him to a room for the night, which was fully stocked with food for both Pokémon and their Trainers.

"I hope you feel better," she said sympathetically. "Training Pokémon is hard, isn't it?" Ken nodded, thankful that Nurse Joy was being so kind to him. "I'll be at the front desk if you need anything." With that, she smiled brightly and left to tend to the other Trainers.

After opening up several cans of Pokémon food for Sora, Ken immediately collapsed onto the bed, vaguely aware that he was falling asleep far too early and far too fast. He was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Strange dreams filled his head that night. Dreams where he was flying through clouds and over mountaintops, or swimming deep under water amongst the seabed. His skin itched and he ignored it, but the itching grew more persistent, climbing its way up his legs and spreading to the rest of his body until it became a strange tingle. He wanted to stop and check it out, but for some reason his mind was unconcerned by it, and he continued on his merry way.

The experience was, he had to admit, fun! He couldn't remember the last time he had had so much fun. Doing a few back flips, he soared off into the sky, his heart full to bursting with happiness. Everything was fun, everything was a game, and there was absolutely no reason to be worried. He didn't have a care in the world. As his joy reached its peak, he let out a laugh, a soft melodic sound, not human but so strangely satisfying that he did it a second time.

By this time the tingling sensation had increased to the point that he was beginning to feel very strange. He couldn't quite explain it, but it was rather unnerving just the same. He tried to focus on this information, but truthfully he just wanted to play and have some fun! Another strange giggle escaped his throat and he began to wonder why his laughter had become so high-pitched and inhuman.

_Who cares? Let's play!_ a voice in his head insisted. It sounded like a child's voice, immature, innocent, and playful.

_Yes, let's play! _Ken agreed, only to realize that his own voice sounded just as immature, just as childlike.

Then it finally dawned on him: that childlike voice from before was HIS voice! A wave of panic and confusion rushed through him. What was happening to him? He glanced down at himself to find pink fur and three fingered paws. He was a Mew!

Ken screamed but all that came out was, "Meeeeeewwww!" This couldn't be happening! He wasn't a Pokémon! He tried to slap himself awake but found his tiny arms just didn't want to cooperate.

Suddenly, a different, more serious voice entered his mind, sending a cold chill down his spine. _It is what you are. Accept it, for it is already happening, weather you want it to or not young Mew. _


	7. Chapter 6: Not the Way I Used To Be

Chapter 6: Not the Way I Used to Be

Ken awoke sweating up a storm. He reached up and felt his face, which was still human and hairless. Letting out a sigh of relief, he flopped back onto the bed, breathing heavily.

"Good morning, Ken!" Sora greeted cheerily. "Man, you sure didn't sleep well! You were tossing and turning all night!"

Ken looked over at her, his mind still trying to process that he was awake. "I was tossing?"

Sora nodded, a smirk on her face. "Bet that was some dream, huh? Sometimes you'd toss, sometimes you'd laugh, near the end of the night you actually screamed!"

"I did?" Ken asked, his cheeks growing red.

"You sure did!" Sora laughed. "You almost woke up the entire Pokémon Center!"

Ken pulled himself up into a sitting position, trying to clear his head. What had his dream been about?

_It is what you are. Accept it, for it is already happening, weather you want it to or not young Mew. _

Ken nearly toppled out of bed. Now he remembered! In his dream he had turned into a Mew! But that was just a dream, it couldn't really happen…could it? He clambered out of bed and dashed to the bathroom as fast as his legs would carry him, slammed the door, and locked it tight, leaving a very puzzled looking Sora wondering what was going on.

Once alone, he began to examine his reflection in the mirror and carefully look himself over. As far as he could tell, he looked the same as he always did. Pulling up his pant leg, he gasped in shock. The pink fur which normally only came up to his ankle had spread all the way up to his knee. He stared at it for a long time, hoping, praying, that it would go away, but it didn't. As he pulled up his other pant leg, he found that it was the same story there, too. Trying very hard not to panic, he quickly checked for any other changes, finding that some pink hair was also beginning to grow on his chest ever so slightly.

Leaning back against the wall, Ken reminded himself over and over that it wasn't something anyone else would see, and that he could hide it easily. That managed to calm him down a bit and he finally opened the door.

"It's about time!" Sora complained irritably. "What's wrong with you anyway?"

"Nothing!" Ken snapped, heading over to the cabinet to get some breakfast for the two of them. He finally settled on cereal for himself and some Pokémon food for Sora. Pouring them both into bowls and setting one down for Sora, who looked at him like he'd lost his mind, he sat down, poured some milk into his, and began eating it. _Man, this cereal tastes funny, _he thought to himself, taking another bite. _It's not bad, though! Kinda tastes like chicken!_ He licked his lips, amazed at how good the strange cereal tasted.

"Um, Ken?"

"Umm hmm?"

"I think you took my bowl by mistake, this food looks weird."

Ken paused and glanced at Sora's bowl, which, unmistakably, was a bowl of Lucky Charms. Reluctantly, knowing what would be there, he glanced at his own bowl, which was full of Poke kibble. Very slowly, he got up, switched their bowls, and sat back down to eat his now human breakfast without a word.

"It's soggy!" Sora complained.

_Can't you just shut up and eat it? _Ken wanted to scream, tugging at his hair. Irritably, he got up and fetched her a new bowl of Pokémon food, which she gratefully devoured. As Ken stared at the bowl of cereal next to the bowl of Pokémon Food and milk, he realized in horror that the soggy kibble looked much more appetizing to him. Dumping both bowls down the sink, he headed out the door followed by Sora.

"Feeling any better?" Nurse Joy asked as he walked by.

"Not really," he muttered, heading over to the video phones to call Professor Oak. _Hopefully he'll know what's going on. _

"You mean Professor Oak? He's an idiot. And what do you mean? What's going on?" Sora asked, nudging Ken with her paws.

Ken ignored her and quickly dialed Professor Oaks number. Seconds later the man appeared on the screen, looking very happy to see Ken.

"Ken! It's wonderful to hear from you! Are you blah Bulbasaur getting along?"

"Listen Professor, I've Mew a bit of a problem."

"Is blah so? What kind of blah problem?"

"Well, Mew think that something really weird is happening to Mew," Ken replied, unsure of how to explain his situation.

"Ken, blah are you talking like that?" Professor Oak asked, scratching his head. "It's a little hard blah understand you."

"Mew should talk Professor!" Ken retorted, pausing as he realized that he had been speaking rather strangely.

"Blah sorry, Ken. Blah don't know what you're talking about."

Kens heart began to beat faster as the terrible truth hit him. It wasn't that Professor Oak was talking weird; it was that it was getting harder for him to understand human speech!

"I'll call Mew back!" Ken squeaked, quickly hanging up. _Ok, first things first, I have to make sure people can understand a word I'm saying!_ "Hi, Mew name is Ken-I mean my Mew is Mew-I Mew my Mew Mew-Aragghh!" he cried out in frustration, burying his head in his arms. It was no good. The more he tried to speak like a human, the less coherent his speech became. _What am I supposed to do? _Ken wondered, a tear running down his face.

"Ken, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

Ken looked up to see Sora gently wiping away his tear with her paw, an extremely worried look on her face. "I'm losing my ability to speak like a human," he said quietly.

"Oh. Is that bad?"

He nodded. "It means other humans won't be able to understand me very well-at all if this keeps getting worse. And I'm starting to not understand human speech, too," Ken added sadly. "Is that what it's like for Pokémon? Can we not understand humans naturally? Do we have to learn?"

Sora nodded. "I'm lucky if I understand less than half of what humans say!"

Ken sighed and headed back up to his room to grab his things, unsure of where to head next. No matter where he went, people would have difficulty understanding him.

_At least Pokémon can understand me,_ Ken thought, slightly comforted. _And I can understand them. I can understand Pokémon!_ As this thought occurred to him happiness rushed through his body and a high-pitched Mew giggle escaped his throat. At the very least, being able to talk to Pokémon was pretty cool!

Being in a much better mood, Ken headed out of the Pokémon Center, a cheerful smile on his face.

He headed over to the Pokemart to stock up on medicine and Pokémon food, pausing to pick up the recent issue of the Viridian Register, which lay in front of the mart. He grimaced at the headline, which read, "Mew Boy Lives!" Underneath the headline was a full color photo of himself, and underneath that was the article, which read thus: "This mysterious half-Mew, half-human was spotted early last night just as he arrived in our fair city. It is currently unknown if he can speak English, or what his behavior is like. His diet, as well as where he came from, is also unknown. If anyone should find out anything else about this mysterious Mew Boy, please contact the local news station as soon as possible." Ken angrily crumpled up the newspaper and tossed it as far as he could.

Entering the Pokemart he was met with several gasps, as well as the presence of the "Mew Boy Lives!" article snipped out and hung on the wall.

_Crap!  
_Several people gasped. "He said crap!" One woman squealed, when in fact, he hadn't said anything at all, merely thought it. A hush fell over the Pokemart and everyone stared at him, as if waiting for him to say something else.

Cautiously, Ken walked up to the counter. "Hi, I'd like Mew buy some supplies, please," he explained as the man stared at him as if he were shocked that Ken had spoken in the first place. "And some Pokémon food for Sora. Mew have that, right?"

The man slowly nodded. "What are you?"

"A human being just like Mew!" Ken growled irritably, his tail knocking several items off a nearby shelf. "Crap!" He turned to survey the damage, accidentally whacking the man in the face with his tail. "Crap!" He quickly grabbed hold of his unruly pink appendage, which began squirming furiously in protest. "I'm really sorry sir, this kind of thing happens all Mew time," he explained nervously, hoping he hadn't caused too much damage.

"Its…fine," the man replied slowly, handing Ken several Potions, Antidotes, Paralyze Heals, and several containers full of Pokémon food.

Carefully releasing his tail and shoving the items into his backpack, Ken thanked the man, apologized once more, and headed out of the Pokemart.

"Jeez, Ken! Can't you control your own tail?" Sora laughed as they headed out of Viridian City.

"Not really," he admitted, giving it a nudge as it threatened to flop onto his shoulder.

Around noon they reached the entrance to Viridian Forest and decided to stop for a lunch break. Taking a bite of his sandwich, Ken began to wonder if he should consider catching more Pokémon, the previous incident still fresh in his mind. He looked over at Sora, who was happily inhaling her Poke chow, and smiled. Truthfully, the more he thought about it, the more he began to think that maybe he didn't want to be a Trainer. Sora was his friend and the thought of telling her what to do like he was her boss really didn't appeal to him. Remembering what she'd said earlier he wondered if perhaps Pokémon liked battling and he was just holding her back. It was confusing.

_Oh, well,_ Ken thought to himself as the warm sun beat down on him, _I'll figure it out later. _After finishing his lunch, he laid down on his back in the grass, the sun warm and reassuring. Sora happily walked up to him and curled up on his chest, looking very content. He reached up and gently scratched her behind the ears and she nuzzled his hand affectionately. It was beautiful out, the kind of day that made you happy to be traveling out in the warm sun. Puffy white clouds lazily floated by. _So this is what it's like outside, _Ken thought with a smile. _I could get used to this. _

As the two relaxed, naming what they thought the clouds looked like, Ken couldn't shake the feeling that he had forgotten something.

"Well," Sora said after he mentioned this to her, "if you can't remember it, it's probably not important."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Ken agreed, and then pointed out how that cloud looked just like an ice cream cone.

Authors notes: Well, there we are, the end of the first set of paired chapters! I hope you enjoyed them, and if you did why not let me know in a review? :) See ya!


	8. Chapter 7: Every Step You Take

Author's notes: Hey everybody, I'm back! And able to post! :) Welcome to the second set of paired chapters from New Species! If you like the idea of paired chapters please let me know and I'll try to include more of them in the near future. Thank you! :)

Ken: Will you just hurry up and start the chapter?

Me: Don't mind him! He's just cranky from listening to "Riding the Storm Out" for a week strait! ^_^

Ken: Don't ask.

Me: Sorry Ken! Hopefully getting back on the road will put you in a better mood.

Enjoy! :)

Chapter 7: Every Step You Take

Back at Pallet Town Professor Oak sat in front of the video phone, scratching his head. "Where on earth is that boy?" He glanced at the clock, rather confused. "He said he'd call me back." Professor Oak rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a deep frown on his face. _He was speaking rather strangely when we last spoke, and he said he had a problem he needed to talk to me about…_

His eyes widened and he hurried over to his bookshelf, pulling out several books on Pokémon genetics and the mechanics of the move Transform.

"So it's like snow?" Sora asked, tilting her head in confusion as they headed into Viridian Forest. "That doesn't sound like it'd taste very good."

"No, its cold like snow but it tastes like other stuff, like chocolate and strawberry, and it comes in a brown pointy thing."

Sora blinked. "You mean a stick?"

Ken shook his head, slightly frustrated. He had been trying to explain what an ice cream cone was to Sora, but it wasn't going well. "I'll buy you one sometime," he promised, knowing he was only confusing her.

Viridian Forest certainly was a lot bigger than Ken had imagined. The trees seemed to go on forever, stretching up to the sky and blocking out the sun. He shivered. There was something almost spooky about this forest. A stick snapped beneath him, making him jump.

"Jeez Ken, you sure are jumpy! What's wrong?"

Ken looked around the forest, unable to shake the feeling that something was out there. "Nothing! Let's just get through this forest, ok?"

Sora nodded and they headed deeper into the forest. A few minutes later, a rustling made Ken freeze. Turning to face the now shaking bush in front of him, Ken felt the hair on top of his head stand on end. Taking a cautious step backwards, he let out a sigh of relief as a Pikachu poked its head out and twitched its ears.

Sora burst out laughing and he shot her an irritated glare. The Pikachu crept slowly out of the bushes, ears twitching, tail raised to monitor its surroundings, and looked at Ken curiously.

"Hey, little guy," Ken cooed, crouching down to speak with him. "Beautiful day out, isn't it?" The Pikachu looked at him like he was a moron and turned its gaze up to the sky. Ken followed its stare, where what was visible of the sky looked to be getting quite cloudy. "…Ok, well, it _was_ a nice day out earlier," he laughed sheepishly.

The Pikachu relaxed a little and let out a laugh, covering its mouth with one paw. "You don't get out much, do you?"

"Not really," Ken admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "I just recently started traveling."

"Then you've got a lot to learn," the Pikachu sighed, shaking his head. "See, it rains all the time in this forest."

Ken frowned. Come to think of it, that would explain why the trees were so healthy. Unfortunately, rain wasn't something he'd counted on, and hadn't brought an umbrella.

The Pikachu sighed and proceeded to walk around Ken in a critical way, arms crossed. "You haven't got a clue how to survive in the woods, _do you_?" he asked, as if he already knew the answer. Without waiting for Ken's response, he dashed off into the bushes.

"Hey, wait!" Ken called, running after the Pokémon, struggling to catch up. The Pikachu ignored him, instead scampering off into the tall grass, pausing only to make sure that Ken was following.

After awhile, the group came to a gigantic tree with a hollowed out space in the center, and the Pikachu stopped and beamed at Ken triumphantly. "See? You can stay here until the rain stops."

"But, it isn't raining," Ken pointed out, slightly confused.

"Who's the Electric type here?" Pikachu replied with a huff, hands on his hips. "Its gonna rain. Trust me!" With that, he dashed into the safety of the hollow tree. On cue, a clap of thunder was heard, and Ken and Sora quickly hurried in after him.

Inside the tree was pretty cramped and Ken soon found himself pushed up against the Pikachu. Yellow fur sprouted, his ears elongated, electric pouches formed on his cheeks, and his body let off a bright glow. Ken was a Pikachu within moments.

"Aw, crap," he moaned, his new Pikachu ears drooping. True, he was thankful that his memories had remained intact, unlike what had happened with the Rattata.

The Pikachu's mouth dropped open and he shook his head as if he were sure he was seeing things. Approaching Ken cautiously, he began sniffing at him and Ken attempted to pull away, only to bump into Sora. The Pikachu suddenly dropped down to all fours and laid his ears back, cheeks sparking. Ken imitated the movement, willing to defend himself and his Pokémon if necessary. His cheeks let off a few sparks, although he had no idea how he was doing it.

Straitening up, the Pikachu stared at him in surprise. "You really are a Mew, aren't you?"

"Kind of…" Ken muttered, standing back up and wringing his paws.

"Sorry for being so suspicious!" Pikachu laughed, slapping his head. "Its just you look SO human, and humans come through here a lot. I don't trust them." Even as he spoke, his cheeks began to let off sparks. "I'm Chumly by the way." Extending his tail to Ken the two Pikachu "shook hands" as a sign of friendship.

As rain began to fall outside the shelter he and his friends were in, Ken began to wonder how Chumly would feel if he told him that his mother was human. True, the Pikachu _seemed _friendly enough, but there was something about him, as if he had only seen the worst of humanity. Or perhaps Pikachu were just mistrusting of humans by nature. Thinking of humanity made Kens cheeks spark.

It wasn't long before Chumly asked the question Ken knew he would ask. "How come you look so human?"

"Well," Ken reluctantly began, "my father is a Mew and my mother…is a human."

Chumlys ears went back. "A _human? _How is that even possible?"

Ken shrugged. "Dad Transformed into human form and…well, I think you can figure it out from there." The other Pikachu grew red in the face, though weather it was from anger or embarrassment Ken wasn't sure. Focusing, he changed back to his human form and Sora climbed onto his lap, making herself comfortable. "Dad left before I was born, I never even met the guy."

The anger in the Pikachu's eyes softened and he gazed at Ken thoughtfully. "I never met my father either," he said quietly. "A Trainer came and captured him when I was still an egg." Chumly stared outside at the pouring rain, which was coming down in sheets by now. "I've heard some humans are good, and maybe he's happy wherever he is, but I'd still like to meet him."

"Me too," Ken whispered. Gently petting the Pikachu on the head, who quickly crawled into his lap, Ken wished that some day he could meet the father he never knew.

Someday.

About an hour later the trio crawled out of the tree, stretching stiff limbs and looking about at the raindrops that clung to the leaves of trees and glittered in the sunshine.

"Bye Chumly! And thanks!" Ken waved to his new friend as he and Sora headed deeper into the forest.

The Pikachu smiled and waved back. "See ya Ken! Don't be a stranger!"

Ken nodded and waved one last time before the Pikachu disappeared from his field of vision.

A Persian crept silently and stealthily through the tall grass, eyes gleaming intently. It sniffed the air, taking in the scent of the nearby Pokémon. Caterpie, Metapod, Weedle, Pikachu, Bulbasaur… Wait, Bulbasaur? The cat paused considering, tail lashing. Was that a good thing? Bulbasaur meant humans and humans meant profit, but no, there were more important things to worry about right now. Creeping through the tall grass it sniffed the air again, scent of Bulbasaur stronger this time, along with…something else. Human? No, not quite. The Persian turned its head, willing the foreign sent to come to it, tongue tasting the air. Mew! Yes, it was Mew, mixed with human scent in a curious, unnatural blend.

_He's near. _With that, the feline dashed swiftly off into the tall grass, following the strange scent.


	9. Chapter 8: I'll Be Watching You

Chapter 8: I'll Be Watching You

The Persian carefully padded through the forest, letting out a miffed growl as its paw touched wet grass. It had obviously rained recently. The cat shrugged off the displeasure of getting wet, reminding itself that this was for Master, and if Master wished it, it would be done.

Slinking silently into the tall grass the Persian spotted a pair of traveling companions. One was a Bulbasaur, female, and only attracted its notice momentarily. The second was what appeared to be a human male, if it weren't for the long pink tail, pink feline ears, and unusually large feet. The Persian smiled. Yes, this was most definitely the target.

A yowl rang through the forest and Ken turned to see a large Persian leap gracefully into the sky, its body sparking before a huge bolt of lightning came crashing down on him. Sora was flung backward as the blast landed inches from her, the air crackling with electricity. Quickly scrambling to her feet she saw her friend lying on the ground, his body sparking.

The Persian let out an angry hiss as its body grew numb, sparking with electricity. "Synchronize, I should have known!" he spat, struggling to move his body, to no avail.

_Synchronize?_ Ken struggled to get up, finding it hard to move at all, only managing to lift his head enough to stare at the likewise immobile Persian.

"And telepathic, too," the cat purred, eyes gleaming. "Master will be most pleased." He managed to take a step towards the Mew Boy before his body refused to obey him. Letting out a low growl the Persian began sparking again, eyes locked on Ken as if he were prey.

_Oh, crap!_ Ken knew the Persian couldn't be wild since it knew Thunderbolt, had mentioned a "Master", and was clearly well trained. If only he could just get to one of the Paralyze Heals in his backpack…

"Back off!" Sora cried, stepping between her friend and the attacking Pokémon, showing no fear.

The cat let out a purr of amusement. "So, you want to protect your Master, do you?"

"Master? As if! Ken is my friend, idiot!" Sora retorted, much to the Persians irritation.

"Well," the Persian replied haughtily, "I don't know what that _thing_ is, but it is most certainly your Master!"

Sora Tackled the Persian and he shrugged the attack off like it was nothing, swatting the inexperienced Bulbasaur away with one swipe of his paw.

_Sora! _Ken glanced over at his Pokémon; she was winded, but otherwise unharmed. Slowly rising to his feet he stared angrily at the Persian, his tail lashing back and forth. The cat only grinned as if hoping the Mew Boy would prove to be more of a challenge.

Hundreds of Pikachu suddenly dashed over and surrounded the Persian, with one very familiar one stopping next to Ken.

"Chumly?" Ken asked in shock.

"In the fur baby!" he laughed. "Still can't take care of yourself, _can you_?" Ken didn't know whether to laugh or cry; the Pikachu had showed up just when he needed him. "Looks like you're in need of a little pest control! Ok guys! Let em have it!"

The group of Pikachu then combined their electric attacks and blasted the Persian, who cried out in pain and rage. Flicking his tail angrily and with a severe blow dealt to his pride, the vastly outnumbered Persian dashed off into the bushes, yowling like crazy.

Vastly relieved, Ken collapsed into a sitting position, the full paralysis setting in. Chumly walked up to Ken and offered him a Cheri Berry, which he took gratefully. Sora nuzzled Ken affectionately; thankful that they had both made it out of that scrape in one piece.

"Always getting into trouble, huh Ken?" Chumly laughed, leaning against his friend, arms crossed behind his head.

"Seems like it," Ken agreed with a sigh.

"What'd that over grown pussycat want with you anyway?" he asked thoughtfully. "Didn't seem like a coinky-dink to me."

Ken shrugged. "Beats me. Probably some psycho Mew fanatic."

Back at the Viridian Gym, Giovanni sat in a chair, staring out the window anxiously. What was taking him so long? Finally, he saw what he'd been waiting for: a singed and angry looking Persian approached the gym and scratched on the door twice. Pushing a button, the doors swung open and the Pokémon dashed inside, sitting at the boss's feet.

Giovanni scowled as he saw the cat's current condition. "He did this to you?" Not wanting to admit that he'd gotten his butt kicked by a bunch of wild Pikachu, the Persian nodded, eyes icy. The Team Rocket Leader smiled. "Then he's more valuable to me than I'd hoped." Returning the Persian to its Pokeball and glancing over at the newspaper clipping, which read, "Mew Boy Lives!" Giovanni began to chuckle. "More valuable than I could ever have imagined."

Author's notes: Well, that's the end of the second set of paired chapters of New Species! I hope all of you are enjoying the story so far. And the plot thickens! *Cues dramatic music*

Ken: I KILLED IT! *Holds up broken ipod dramatically*

Me: Somebody went a little nuts...

Ken: Your the reason I'm a little nuts! You and your stupid ipod!

Me: Um...Ken? That wasn't my ipod.

Ken:...Then whose was it?

Fluffy: *Spots ipod and growls, barring fangs*

Ken: Oh crap! *Runs*

Me: Well, I gotta go save Ken from Fluffy! See ya!


	10. Ch 9: I don't Wanna Be a Pokemon, Idiot

Authors Notes: I'm sorry about how the title appears in the drop down bar. I tried to put in the full title, but it wouldn't fit! XD This was the best I was able to do, so if something like this happens in the future, always remember that the full title may be found at the top of the page. Thank you! :)

Me: And don't worry everybody, I saved Ken from Fluffy and he's ok!

Ken: *Rolls eyes* Barely.

Me: Oh, come on Ken! Fluffy didn't even touch you! He was just a little upset that you broke his ipod, that's all.

Ken: Where did Fluffy even GET an ipod?

Me: Isn't it obvious? He took it from Chris before he…well, you know!

Ken: O-O;

Me: Don't worry Ken, Fluffy can't eat you! He signed a contract that prevents him from eating any of my characters!

Ken: Tell that to Chris!

Me: Don't worry Ken! I know a place where Fluffy will NEVER find you!

Ken: Where?

Me: HERE! *Shoves Ken into the fanfic*

Chapter 9: I don't Wanna Be a Pokémon, Idiot

After saying goodbye to Chumly, walking for a few hours, and eating dinner, Ken and Sora prepared to call it a night. Rolling out his sleeping bag and making sure they'd be out of the rain, should it choose to fall again, Ken kicked off his shoes and was about to crawl inside the sleeping bag when he saw Sora staring at him.

"What?" he asked grumpily, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep and forget about all that had happened. His feet were killing him, too. He wasn't used to all that walking and running around.

She stared at him for a moment and said quite simply, "Your feet are huge."

Ken sighed. "I'm part Mew, _remember_? This is what a Mews feet are _supposed _to look like!"

"Oh. Well, they sure are big!"

Ken rolled his eyes and crawled into his sleeping bag, too tired to care what his Pokémon thought of him.

The strange dreams returned. More flying, more swimming, more playful giggling as he floated about, not a care in the world. The strange tingling also returned, making his chest itch.

_Having fun?_ a voice asked, sounding amused.

_What's happening to me?_ Ken asked, his voice sounding like that of a child's. _Great, I'm a Mew again!_ he huffed, attempting to cross his arms but finding the task impossible.

_Again? _the voice asked, sounding as if it was laughing. _You've always been a Mew, Ken._

_No, I haven't! _Ken whined, clenching his tiny fists. _I'm a human! And how do you know my name? Who are you? _

_Patience young Mew, the answers will come in time._ With that, the voice faded away, leaving Ken alone and frightened.

Ken awoke with a start, his forehead wet with sweat. It was dark out and Sora lay curled up nearby, sleeping contently. Pulling off his shirt to check out where the itching and tingling occurred, he had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming.

The small traces of pink hair from the day before had spread into a small, although noticeable, patch of hair. Reaching out trembling fingers he gently touched the hair, which was incredibly fine and soft, sending chills down his spine. Pulling his shirt back on and assuring himself that he could hide it easily, Ken slowly slipped into a rather uneasy and restless sleep.

"Good morning, Ken!" Sora sang brightly, as he attempted to hit the snooze button on his non-existent alarm clock. "What's the matter? Not sleep well?"

Ken grunted in reply, slowly sitting up and pushing his tail off his shoulder. With a yawn he got up to get breakfast for the two of them. After pouring Sora a bowl of Pokémon Food Ken stared at the kibble thoughtfully, his stomach growling. _Get a hold of yourself,_ he scolded. _You are not a Pokémon!_

Still…it smelled delicious!

"Um…Ken? Why are you eating my food?"

Ken nearly choked on the Pokémon Food. He hadn't even realized he'd been eating it. Quickly placing the bowl down on the ground, he took several deep breaths. _Its ok, _he assured himself. _I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I'm not a Pokémon. I'm NOT a Pokémon! _

"Its ok, Ken!" Sora assured him with a smile. "If you want some, just poor yourself a bowl, and we'll eat together!"

"Shut up Sora!" he snapped, turning away from her, eyes wide with fear. _What's happening to me?_

"Ken?" she asked cautiously, placing her paws on his leg. "Are you alright? You don't seem quite yourself this morning."

_That's because I'm not myself this morning. _"I'm fine," he promised, flashing her a fake smile. "Just tiered, that's all."

"But you just said that you weren't yourself this morning," Sora pointed out, eyes full of concern.

"I didn't say that," Ken whispered softly, body shaking. "I _thought _it. I thought it and you heard me!"

Sora gently nuzzled the trembling teenager, trying her best to comfort him. "It's ok to be a Pokémon Ken."

"Maybe I don't wanna be a Pokémon," he muttered, turning his head away.

"But Ken!" Sora whined. "You ARE a Pokémon!"

Ken let out an irritated growl. He was sick and tired of everybody telling him that he was a Pokémon. Frustrated, he packed up his stuff and proceeded to trudge through the forest, Sora following a respectful distance behind him.

The two didn't talk much after that, stopping only to eat lunch in silence. A Bug Catcher or two occasionally spoke to Ken, but quickly dropped the conversation when they noticed that he wasn't quite normal. Around 1:00 in the afternoon the pair arrived in Pewter City. Ignoring the gasps and weird looks, Ken headed straight to the Pokémon Center, plopping down on the couch with a heavy sigh.

"Phone call blah you," Nurse Joy explained, motioning over to one of the video phones.

"What now?" Ken grumbled, heading over to take the phone off the hook.

"Hi honey!" his mother gushed, her smiling face appearing on the screen.

"Mom? How did-"

"I called the Viridian City Pokémon Center and they said you left yesterday, so I tried here, and here you are!" she laughed. "So, how is your journey going? Oh! Is that your Bulbasaur?"

Ken nodded, not wanting to say too much incase his Pokémon-like speech should worry her.

"That's wonderful!" she gushed, eyes shining. "Did you name it?"

"_Her _name is Sora," Ken replied irritably, angry that someone had referred to his friend as an "it".

"Sora! That's a beautiful name!" his mother exclaimed.

Ken nodded, patting Sora on the head. He didn't know how much she understood of the conversation, but she looked pleased just the same.

"Why so quiet Ken?" his mother asked, a worried look on her face. "Is it because of the article in the newspaper?"

"What?" Ken nearly toppled out of his chair. How did she know about that?

"Well, I called the Pokémon Center in Viridian, and it seems you've got quite the reputation."

Kens face turned bright red. "Sorry Mom."

"Ken, don't be sorry," she reprimanded gently. "The media likes to make a big deal out of what they don't understand. Just ignore them and the attention will die down after awhile. Don't give up son, and always remember that I love you."

"I love Mew too, Mom," Ken laughed, cringing in dismay as he realized what he'd just said. _Crap! I was so close!_

His mother frowned. "Ken? Why are you talking like that? You haven't talked like that since you were three."

"I talked like that when Mew was little?" Ken asked, surprised.

His mother nodded. "When you were first learning to talk, you used to mix up Pokémon speech with human language. You don't remember?" Ken shook his head. "I could send over some old tapes for you. Would you like that?"

"Yes! Thanks Mom, you're Mew best!" Ken replied thankfully.

His mother nodded, a big smile on her face. "Ok, I'll have them sent to the Pewter City Pokémon Center. They should be there around six, alright?"

"Sure! That'd be great!"

After saying goodbye to his mother and promising he'd call soon, Ken hung up the phone, feeling slightly comforted that he might finally get some sort of explanation of what was happening to him.

"I like her!" Sora giggled. "She seems really nice! I didn't like it when she called me an "it" though," She added with a frown.

"Yeah, I know, and I told her-wait, you understood her?"

"Yep. Clear as a bell!" Sora replied with a nod.

Thinking back to their conversation, Ken realized that he, too, had understood his mother perfectly, despite the fact that other people he talked to didn't always make sense to him. "That's strange."

Hours later Ken received the package containing his mother's old home movies. Taking them up to his room, he popped in the first tape, and sat back on the bed eagerly as the scene flickered to life.

He was a baby, happily letting out high-pitched Mew giggles as his mother played with him. Taking one of his toes gently between her fingers she sang, "This little piggy went to market! This little piggy stayed home! This little piggy had roast beef…oh, I guess that's it…"

Ken chuckled at his mother's blunder, curling his toes within his shoes.

He watched tape after tape, watching himself grow older, taller, smarter. Watched himself learn to walk, unsteadily at first, then before long, getting into everything and driving his mother crazy. Watched himself learn to talk. He started with small, one-word fraises, but gradually moved on to full sentences. Pokémon speech was heavily mixed in with his human language at first, but the older he got the less it occurred. By the time he was four it had faded away completely.

_So why is it resurfacing now? And why am I becoming more like a Pokémon? _With a sigh he realized that he hadn't really learned anything from the tapes. Ejecting the tape that showed his sixth birthday party, he flopped onto the bed in frustration.


	11. Ch 10: A New Rock From the Beginning

Chapter 10: A New Rock From the Beginning

Heading out of the Pokémon Center the next morning following breakfast, Ken looked out over Pewter City, focusing on one particular landmark: the gym. This was to be the first step in his journey to become a Pokémon Master, or so everyone always said. As a Trainer, it was expected of him to collect badges and aim to be the best.

_But still, is it something I really want?_ Shaking off the feeling of uncertainty, Ken headed over in the direction of the gym, only to bump into a young Trainer.

"Sorry about that," Ken apologized quickly as the young boy stared at him wide eyed. "Mew ok?" The kid continued to stare at him, mouth agape. "Kid? Hellloooo? Earth Mew space cadet!" He waved his hand in front of the boys face but the child continued to gaze at him with a blank expression. "…Ok then…"

Ken managed to take three steps before the kid cried out, "Cool!" and rushed over to his side. "Are you blah Pokémon? Can blah use Pokémon attacks? Do you need blah Trainer? Why'd you come blah Pewter City? Have you been to the museum yet? Weren't those fossils from Mt. Moon amazing?"

"What museum?" Ken growled, barely able to keep up with what the boy was saying.

The boy's eyes widened. "You haven't been there yet? You absolutely have blah go right away! Follow me!" Before Ken could so much as protest he was taken by the arm and practically dragged to the entrance of a building, which a nearby sign identified as thePewter Museum of Science."You blah to pay to get in but it's totally worth it!"

_Great, _Ken thought irritably. _What, does this kid think I'm made of money?_ Reluctantly, Ken headed into the museum, if only to get away from the young boy who watched his every move with fascination.

"Welcome to blah Pewter Museum of Science!" The receptionist greeted him "That will be blah…" she trailed off, staring at the long pink tail and the twitching ears. "What are you?"

"A magic elf," Ken replied sarcastically, more than fed up with all the strange reactions to his appearance. "I came from Mew land of ice cream bars and pixie sticks." The woman blinked at him as if she actually believed him. "I'm Mew human, ok?" he groaned. The woman slowly nodded, allowing him to finally pay the entrance fee and come inside.

He had to admit, the fossils from Mt. Moon truly were amazing, particularly the Kabutops and Areodactyl fossils. _I wonder if I could Transform into them if I touched them…No! What am I thinking?_ Ken shook his head in disgust. He couldn't just go around changing into every Pokémon he met, after all. So far it had been an accident. _Come to think of it, I've never Transformed on purpose before._ He began to think of all the possibilities available to him, and wondered whether he would be able to initiate the change on his own. He let out a high-pitched Mew giggle and several people turned to stare at him. _Why are they looking at me like that?_

"Beats me," Sora replied with a shrug. "Humans are weird!"

Ken couldn't help giggling at that, causing several more people to turn in his direction, mouths agape. Ignoring them, he continued to look at the items in the display cases, tail twitching with excitement.

Suddenly, several strange people in black burst into the museum. "Give us the fossil!" one man demanded gruffly of one of the museum curators. People began to panic and Ken quickly found himself pushed up against a wall.

"Psst!" A man in a white lab coat beckoned franticly, hidden behind one of the display cases. His expression was urgent and panicked and he appeared to be sheltering something within the crook of one arm. Ken pointed to himself and the man nodded, motioning for him to hurry. Slowly and carefully Ken made his way over to the man, only to have something deposited into his arms. A mild tingle quickly snaked its way down his spine. "This is what Team Rocket is after," the man whispered, pointing to the gold colored rock with the mosquito inside it. "They believe blah to be a Mew fossil."

Ken shivered when he heard this. "Mew don't want it!" he insisted, giving it back to the man.

"You must!" he begged, shoving it back to Ken. "Please! Blah must! It could blah your own kind! Please, Mew Boy!"

"My name is Ken, and I'M NOT A MEW BOY!" Ken cried out in frustration, forgetting entirely that he was supposed to be hiding.

"Over there! Blah Mew Boy has the fossil!"

"Oh, crap." Ken took off running as if his life depended on it, a group of Team Rocket members right on his heels.

"Sora! Razor Leaf!" he cried out desperately.

"I don't know that attack!" she whimpered from atop his shoulder.

"Sleep Powder?"

"Nope!"

"Stun Spore?"

"Bulbasaur can't even learn Stun Spore, idiot!"

Ken continued running until he left Pewter, tired and out of breath. Pausing, he looked around him, ears twitching nervously. Team Rocket was nowhere to be seen.

Collapsing onto the ground to sit and catch his breath, Ken noticed that he still had the strange rock. Holding it up to the sunlight it glowed a faint yellow gold, a mosquito suspended in the center.

"What's that?" Sora asked, sniffing at it curiously. Ken could only shrug as he stared at the strange object, which glinted in the sunlight. "Didn't that man say it was a Mew fossil?"

"Team Rocket thinks it is," Ken replied, shoving the fossil into his backpack. "We better keep it hidden for now." Truthfully, if it _was_ a Mew fossil he didn't want anything to do with it, but really had no choice for the time being.

Sora nodded in agreement. "So, what now Ken?"

Ken glanced back over his shoulder. They couldn't go back to Pewter, Team Rocket would still be on the lookout for him. "We keep moving."

Author's notes: Well, it's occurred to me that Ken needs more Pokémon, and while I do have some ideas I'd love to hear what all of you would like Ken to have! :) So, feel free to suggest away, and if you'd like to see more of Chumly the Pikachu, why not cast your vote in my poll? The poll can be found on my profile, and feel free to send in any other suggestions for team members via PM or review! :) Thank you, and thanks for reading! ^_^


	12. Chapter 11: Stuck In the Middle With You

Chapter 11: Stuck In the Middle With You

Continuing on their way, Ken's thoughts drifted to the fossil that currently lay hidden within his backpack. If it truly were a Mew fossil, then Team Rocket would do everything in their power to take it from its unfortunate owner.

Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, Ken turned his attention instead to Sora. "Sora? What moves do you know?"

She tilted her head to the side, surprised. "Tackle, Growl, and Leech Seed. Why?"

Ken blinked in surprise. "That's it?"

Sora nodded, an irritated look on her face. "Yeah, well maybe if you'd let me BATTLE I'd actually know some decent moves!"

Ken sighed heavily. After there last encounter with Team Rocket he had begun to wonder if Sora's moveset was a bit lacking, but he hadn't realized that it was that bad. He turned to the Bulbasaur who was now glaring at him like it was somehow his fault that she didn't know any good moves.

_Is it my fault? _Ken shuttered as he realized that he had forgotten that he was supposed to be Sora's Trainer. _How could I forget something like that? _

The two continued on in silence for a while before Ken finally spoke up."I'll let you battle."

It was little more than a whisper but hearing it caused Sora's eyes to light up like a kid on Christmas morning. "_Really_?"

Ken nodded. "If that's what you want. I'm not gonna force you to or anything-"

"Yeeeeessssss!" Sora squealed, causing Ken to cover his ears in pain. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" She then jumped off his shoulder and proceeded to run circles around him.

"Sora! Cut it out, you're gonna make me-Ahhh!"

"Trip?" Sora asked meekly as she stared at her friend who now lay face down in the dirt.

"Exactly," he grumbled, pushing his tail out of his face.

A short while later the duo was trying to find a Trainer to battle, but without much success. Usually a Trainer would take one look at them and head off in the other direction.

"What am I doing wrong?" Ken asked, ears twitching in confusion. He'd always heard Trainers were challenging each other to battles left and right. Instead they were running away from him like he had the plague or something.

Sora shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe you have bad breath or something."

Ken rolled his eyes. "And maybe they just want to play tag with me and are telling me I'm it."

"Really?"

Ken sighed and was about to shove his tail away when realization hit him, and he quickly grabbed hold of the furry pink appendage. "This is the problem!" he exclaimed, holding up his tail triumphantly.

"You have fleas?"

Ken was so surprised that he accidentally let go of the tail, causing it to smack him in the back of the head. "No," he growled, quickly grabbing hold of it again. "What I mean is, nobody's gonna wanna battle us if I look like this." He finally let go of the tail, which flicked from side to side in protest.

"Oh. So you don't have fleas?"

"No," Ken growled impatiently, ears twitching. With a sigh, he sat cross-legged on the ground knowing that no one was going to battle him.

"It's ok Ken," Sora assured him, nuzzling his side affectionately. "You know you don't look _that_ weird! If I was a Trainer I'd battle you!"

Ken stopped mid eye roll as what she said fully sunk in. "Why don't _we_ have a practice battle Sora? I could-"

"Because you stink," she interrupted, much to his annoyance. "I mean really, really stink! What moves do you know, anyway?"

"Well, there's Transform, and, um…" Ken thought about it for a moment, but realized that other than that, he wasn't sure. "…Transform?"

"_Right,_" Sora laughed sarcastically. "I'm in awe of your tremendous power!"

"Shut up Sora," Ken grumbled, tail flicking in annoyance. "I wouldn't be battling you as me, anyway. I'd Transform into something _first_, duh."

"You'd still stink."

With an irritated growl, Ken concentrated on changing into something that could battle Sora. A Bulbasaur? No, that wouldn't work. Rattata? _Not after last time,_ he thought with a shudder. Pikachu? Yes, Pikachu! Pikachu were strong and fast! Focusing on the appearance of a Pikachu, Ken's body let off a bright glow and within seconds, the Transformation was complete.

"Um…Ken?"

"Yeah, what's the matter?" he felt his right ear twitch, definitely a Pikachu ear. What had he done wrong? It took a moment for him to realize that he was still human sized and hadn't shrunk to the height of a Pikachu. _Oh, crap. _Reaching up, he found long Pikachu ears and yellow fur. _Seems all right so far. _Glancing down at his body, on the other hand, was another story. "Ahhhh!"

He was covered, as far as he could tell, in yellow fur, but had still retained a rather humanoid shape; his normally long thin tail had been replaced with a lightning bolt shaped one; his shoes now felt far too big for him, although he was thankful that he'd kept his clothes. As his cheeks began to spark, he knew that his face had to have changed, too.

Sora was by now rolling around on the ground laughing, tears in her eyes. Ken on the other hand was pretty scared. Somehow his attempts had resulted in an incomplete Transformation, and he didn't know whether to finish it or reverse it.

Eventually deciding on the latter, he focused on his human form. There was a slight twinge of pain and then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The first thing to happen was that his fur changed from yellow to pink. Then his ears shrank and his tail became longer, more slender. He could feel his feet growing larger within the confines of his shoes, and his cheeks sparked as the electric pouches on his cheeks vanished and faded away. For several suspenseful moments he remained that way, covered from head to toe in fine pink hair before, at last, it too vanished and he returned to normal.

Falling forward onto his knees, Ken shivered in fear as he realized just how close he had come to being stuck that way forever.

Authors notes: Ok, short chapter I know, but it's more of a filler chapter anyway! ^_^

Also, feel free to suggest any Pokémon you'd like Ken to have. Even if I'm unable to use your suggestion, I still greatly appreciate it! :) Also, if you want to see more of Chumly, why not cast your vote in my poll? And if you don't want to see more of Chumly, why not cast your vote in my poll? XD Either way, I'd love to hear what you think! :) See ya!


	13. Ch 12: Aint No Lie! Just Buy Buy Buy!

Authors notes: Hey everybody! Just thought I'd post a short chapter before Easter weekend! Happy Easter everybody! :)

Chapter 12: Aint No Lie! Just Buy Buy Buy!

Not daring to try Transforming again, Ken and Sora continued on their journey. A short while later they came to a Pokémon Center at the foot of Mt. Moon.

"Let's get something to eat, whatta ya say Sora?"

"Umm hmm! I'm starving!"

As Ken headed towards the front desk to speak with Nurse Joy, a rather shady looking man with some kind of fish Pokémon suddenly stopped him in his tracks. "Hello, hello whatever you are!" the man laughed excitedly. "I've got one monster of blah great deal here for you!" At this point he held up the fish Pokémon like it was gold or something. "This here is a Magikarp, a super rare Pokémon with magical, supernatural powers! Powers so wondrous, blah astounding that I dare not speak them by name!"

"What do Mew look like, a five year old?" Ken muttered, rolling his eyes. "I aint buying it buddy."

"Buying?" the man asked, eyes gleaming. "Why didn't you tell blah you were interested?"

"Whoa, that's not Mew I meant!" Ken protested as the man continued his sales pitch.

"You have good eyes young…man is it? Well, anyway, blah could be the proud owner of a secret Pokémon: a Magikarp, for the low, low price of $500. What do you say?"

Kens eyes popped open and a very alarmed squeak escaped his throat. "Mew?"

"Excellent!" the man exclaimed, taking the noise Ken made as a yes. "I have its Pokeball right here blah you-"

"I don't want a Magikarp!" Ken cried out in frustration. "I don't want it and Mew not paying that kind of money Mew something I could find in any old pond!"

The man frowned, aware that Ken was on to him. Still, he had never been one to give up on a potential sale. "That's where you're wrong young man! This Magikarp is special! See for yourself!"

As the man plopped the strange fish into Ken's arms, Ken felt an all too familiar tingle flow through his body. In seconds, there were two Magikarp flopping on the floor of the Pokémon Center and the shady man was high tailing it out of there like his life depended on it.

Fighting the panic that gripped him as he helplessly flopped about on the floor, Ken quickly focused his mind and managed to regain his human form. Panting and slightly shaky, he glanced down at the Magikarp, who regarded him calmly.

"I am your apprentice now, correct?"

"What?"

"You have my eternal loyalty," the Magikarp continued, with what looked to Ken like some sort of bow.

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"I shall devote myself to training up my immense magical powers for you, my Master Mew. All shall bow down before us!" the fish cried dramatically, leaping into the air before he continued to flop around rather pointlessly.

"Ooookaaaayyy," Ken muttered, unsure of what to do.

"He's weird," Sora giggled, much to the Magikarps annoyance.

"How dare you speak of me that way!" he growled, his voice full of malice. "You shall now face the most powerful move in existence!" With that he began to Splash about rather pathetically, causing Sora to laugh even harder. "You dare challenge my powers? _A Thousand Years of Darkness!_" The Magikarp leaped high into the air…and used Splash again.

"I think he might be missing a few of his marbles," Ken whispered.

Sora nodded. "I sure hope he finds them. Losing them must've driven him crazy!" she whispered back, and Ken face palmed.

As Ken turned to walk away from the weird fish, he heard the Magikarp call after him. "Where are you going, my Master?"

"I'm not your Master!" Ken growled, tail twitching angrily.

"But you hold the Sphere of Command!" the Pokémon protested, flopping after Ken.

"The _what_?"

Ken looked down as a gold plated Pokeball rolled to a stop at his feet.

"It chooses you," the Magikarp whispered, eyes shining.

"Aw, crap."


	14. Chapter 13: Just Eat It

Chapter 13: Just Eat It

"My name is Shade," the Magikarp explained, oblivious to Ken's irritation. "I shall protect and serve you, my Master, to the best of my ability."

_What ability?_ Ken wondered, glancing down at the fish that continued to flop about helplessly. _Everybody knows Magikarp are weak!_

"Correct Master Mew, but I have been blessed with magical, supernatural powers! Behold! _Twin Wheels of Fire!_" Shade then used Splash with a great amount of enthusiasm, though the attack still did nothing.

_More like Twin Wheels of Failure,_ Ken thought, stifling a laugh.

"_Failure_? Why do you bring shame upon me, my Master?" Shade asked, looking greatly offended.

"Oh! Sorry!" Ken quickly apologized, face turning red. "That was great, really!" he laughed, reaching down and giving the Magikarp a friendly pat. _Man, this telepathic thing is getting really inconvenient! _Ken thought with a sigh. At first he thought that he'd been imagining it, but recent evidence made him realize that his thoughts were indeed being broadcast for the entire world to hear from time to time. _It wouldn't be so bad if I could control it!_

"Control what?" Sora asked, eyeing her friend strangely.

"Nothing Sora," Ken sighed. Turning to the Magikarp who was now eyeing him expectantly, he reluctantly picked up the gold plated Pokeball. "I guess were traveling together now, huh?"

"Yes Master Mew. I shall await your orders from within the Sphere of Command, and you may call upon my powers whenever you wish!" Shade replied, bowing respectfully.

"Riiiight. Ok, get in the…um…Sphere of Command then," Ken fumbled, holding up the Pokeball. A red beam of light shot out from the button on the center, and the fish willingly allowed itself to be drawn inside.

"So the crazy fish is coming with us?" Sora asked, looking none too thrilled.

"Yes Sora," Ken growled, ears twitching. "Be nice to him ok? He's not crazy, he's just…" he paused, searching for the right word to describe the strange fish. "…Eccentric."

"_Right_. If he's "eccentric" then I'm the legendary Pokémon Articuno!"

"Look! He's not crazy and the only legendary Pokémon around here is me!" Ken growled, tail lashing back and forth. "Were going to be traveling together and were going to be one big happy family! GOT IT?"

"Sure Ken, whatever you say!" Sora laughed. "You're the legendary Pokémon!"

Ken's eyes widened in shock and horror as he realized that he'd just referred to himself as a Pokémon. "I'M NOT A POKEMON!"

"That's not what you said a minute ago Ken!" Sora replied, still laughing.

Ken was about to protest when his stomach growled rather loudly. Remembering that they still hadn't eaten lunch, Ken did his best to shrug off the concern welling up inside him and approached the front desk.

"There wouldn't happen to be a cafeteria around here would there?" he asked hopefully. "Were pretty hungry and a nice hot meal would be fantastic!"

Nurse Joy simply stared at him like he had two heads. "Um…I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Ken sighed irritably. "Ca-fe-teria," he repeated, pronouncing each syllable slowly and carefully. "We're _hungry_ and would like something hot to _eat_!" At this point his stomach growled again, louder this time.

"Oh, you're hungry!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, eyes lighting up.

"That's what I just SAID!" Ken shouted, ready to yank out his hair in frustration. "Did I get the stupid nurse or something?"

"You'll have to be patient with her!" a Chansey laughed as she skipped over to Nurse Joy. "It's difficult for even someone like her to understand a Pokémon she isn't familiar with!"

"For the last time I'M NOT A-" Ken stopped as what the Chansey had said finally sank in. _Haven't I been speaking English?_ he wondered. "Mew Mew M-" Ken clapped a hand over his mouth in shock. That definitely wasn't English! Not even close! Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Mew there a cafeteria?"

"Oh, of course!" Nurse Joy laughed. "I'm sorry, I had no idea you spoke English! Right this way!"

Ken followed quietly after Nurse Joy and Chansey, now aware that he seemed to be becoming more Pokémon-like by the minute. Walking through a pair of double doors, Ken came to the cafeteria, which was currently jam-packed with Trainers and Pokémon.

_Aw, crap! _Ken thought in dismay. He had been hoping that the cafeteria would be less crowded. What felt like a hundred Trainers now turned and stared at him, eyes wide as saucers, mouths agape in disbelief. Ken looked to Nurse Joy for some sort of reassurance, but she had already headed back to the front desk, not even noticing his anxiety. _Ok, it's official. I definitely got the stupid nurse. _

Well, at least Chansey hadn't deserted him. She stood there looking very happy, and regarded him with a kind smile. "Go ahead and get whatever you want! Trays are here," she explained as she headed over to the stack of trays. "Don't worry! It's completely free to Trainers!" she finished with a smile.

Ken glanced at the long line of food set out, people ready to scoop it out onto Trainers trays. _They must all be volunteers,_ Ken realized.

"That's right!" Chansey agreed, skipping over to him. "They all work so hard and ask for nothing in return! So be sure to thank them, ok?"

Ken smiled and nodded. "I will, and thank you for your help…um… what's your name?" Ken asked, not wanting to refer to the lady who'd been so helpful to him by simply her species name.

The egg shaped Pokémon giggled. "Chansey!"

_Of course it is,_ Ken thought with a sigh. All Chansey were called Chansey, just like all Nurse Joys were called Nurse Joy. It was more of a title than a name. "Thank you Chansey."

"Of course! And feel free to stop by the front desk if you need anything else!" she replied, smiling and skipping off towards the front of the Pokémon Center.

Ignoring the fact that everyone was staring at him, Ken grabbed one of the trays and began heading through the line, getting a chicken sandwich for himself and some sort of hot berry-kibble mix for his Pokémon.

_I hope they like it,_ Ken thought to himself as the man scooped some of it into a bowl and handed it to him. "Thank you."

"Not a problem kid! And don't worry about the food, Pokémon love it! It's a new formula the food company's trying out, kinda like how you have wet and dry food for cats."

"Oh. Well, Mew makes sense." As the Oder of the hot Pokémon food filled his nostrils, Ken unintentionally let out noise that sounded very much like a purr. "Sorry," he muttered, his face turning bright red.

The man laughed. "Sounds like someone's gonna need another bowl!" Handing the second bowl to Ken, he began to scoop up some into a third, chuckling to himself.

"N-no, that's ok!" Ken sputtered, his cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. "I just need one for Sora and one for Shade, I don't eat Pokémon Food!"

"Yes you do, I've seen you do it!" Sora protested from atop his shoulder.

Before Ken could explain to Sora that the last couple times had been an accident, the man placed the third bowl in his hand. Reluctantly, Ken placed the bowl on his plate, grabbed a couple bottles of Miltank Milk, and headed over to find a table.

This turned out to easier said than done, as all the tables already had several Trainers sitting at them, and every one of those Trainers was staring right at him.

_Oh crap!_ Ken quickly scanned the area for a friendly face, but everyone was staring at him like he was some kind of freak of nature or something. Sighing, he headed over to the table with the least amount of people, sitting as far away from them as possible. Releasing Shade from his Pokeball, Ken and his Pokémon began to eat their lunch.

"Ken this is _delicious!_" Sora exclaimed, eyes wide with delight as she gobbled down the berry mix.

Ken laughed. "Yeah, well, don't get too used to it, there's no way we'll be able to eat it on the road."

Sora glanced up at Ken, a mischievous glint in her eye. "We? I thought you didn't eat Pokémon Food Ken?"

"I-I don't!" he sputtered, face turning red.

Sora rolled her eyes and scooted the third bowl over to her friend. "Just eat it Ken."

Eyeing the bowl, Ken reluctantly picked it up, glanced at Sora, who was nodding at him in encouragement, and sighed. "Fine! I'll try _one _bite, just to prove to you that I DON'T LIKE POKEMON FOOD! Will that get you off my back?"

"Uh-huh!" Sora laughed, practically jumping up and down in excitement.

Ken sighed, scooped up some of the batter-like stuff onto the tip of his finger, then licked it off. As soon as he did so, his eyes went wide, and he shoved his face into the bowl, hungrily devouring its contents.

_What am I doing? Stop it! _Ken screamed from within the confines of his mind. He tried to make his body obey him, but it currently seemed to have a mind of its own, and he kept right on eating the berry mix, face first like some kind of animal. The worst part was that Ken could tell that there was some part of him that was actually enjoying it, and it seemed to be that part of him that now had control of his body. And as he sat there hunched over the bowl, unable to stop himself from devouring the food like any other Pokémon, Ken finally accepted the truth. _I like Pokémon Food._

As this sense of acceptance hit him, Ken finally felt some of his control return to him and he was finally able to pull his face out of the food bowl.

"See, I told you you'd like it!" Sora laughed, smiling up at him.

Ken glanced down at the bowl on the table, its contents nearly gone. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The cafeteria exploded with sound as every single Trainer their burst into fits of laughter at Ken's Pokémon-like behavior. Ken ignored them, grabbed a spoon, and proceeded to finish his Pokémon Food.

Authors notes: Pretty much a filler chapter, but Ken's new Magikarp gets a name! :) That brings Ken's team to a grand total of two Pokémon! XD If there are any Pokémon you'd like Ken to have, feel free to let me know! ^_^


	15. Ch 14: I Know Your Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 14: I Know Your Dirty Little Secret

After spending the rest of the day in his room due to the cafeteria incident, and eating dinner with his Pokémon, which consisted of more berry-kibble, Ken drifted off into a deep and comfortable slumber.

The dreams of flying amongst the clouds returned, along with the now familiar tingling sensation. As Ken did several playful back flips he suddenly became aware of a presence.

_Hello Ken. It's good to see that you're finally on the road to acceptance. _

_Who are you?_ Ken asked, realizing in dismay that he was a Mew again.

_Let's just say that we have a mutual acquaintance_, the voice chuckled.

_What does that mean?_ Ken demanded, ears twitching. _Tell me who you are and why you keep invading my dreams! TELL ME RIGHT NOW!_ Tears filled Ken's eyes, more from fear than from anger, and he reached up and pushed them away with one of his paws.

Ken felt strong arms take him from behind and hold him tight, as if was a child. He tried to squirm away, but whatever it was held him firmly, and he soon gave up, allowing the foreign presence to hold him as he slowly began to relax, going limp in its arms.

_Good, _the voice whispered, gently patting Ken's head and chuckling as the young Mew let out a contented purr. _You must accept what you are. _

Anger filled Ken's mind as he realized that this thing was now _petting _him! _I'M NOT A POKEMON! I'M A HUMAN BEING! _Ken screamed, forcing his way out of his captors grasp. Turning to face his tormentor, Ken gasped as he could just barely make out a shape. Though it was fuzzy and out of focus, he was able to make one important distinction: it wasn't human.

The last thing Ken heard as he began to feel very drowsy was laughter.

Ken awoke with a start, eyes wide with fear and his whole body trembling. _Just what was that?_ he wondered, sitting up in bed, tail coiled instinctively around his body in defense. He tried to picture the figure more clearly in his mind but all he could recall was a vague fuzzy shape, laughing at him as if the idea of him being human was somehow amusing. Come to think of it, he _had_ been becoming more and more like a Pokémon lately. _What if it doesn't stop?_ he suddenly wondered with a shudder. _What if I just keep changing until there's nothing human left?_

With a sinking feeling welling up deep inside him, Ken hurried to the bathroom, taking care not to wake Sora or Shade, and locked the door.

Ripping off his shirt, he found that the small patch of fur on his chest wasn't so small anymore. His chest was now completely covered in fine pink hair, the sight of which caused his heart to beat faster. What he discovered next, however, frightened him even more.

"Oh crap!" Ken screamed, slapping a hand over his mouth and praying that he hadn't woken up his Pokémon. After listening in silence for several moments and hearing nothing, Ken glanced down at what had caused him to panic. Fine pink fur now covered the backs of his hands, stopping at his knuckles. _Why won't it stop?_ Ken wondered in fear and frustration. His thoughts from moments ago returned, causing him to shudder with dread. _What if it doesn't stop? What if I go full Pokémon? I won't be able to be a Trainer, or have battles with friends, or show my face in public again! _

Staring at the pink fur that was now beginning to grow on his hands, Ken's eyes flared with anger. Searching though the medicine cabinet, sending its contents clattering to the bathroom floor, Ken finally found a mechanical razor and spent the next several minutes attempting to shave off the excess fur.

Unfortunately, he quickly discovered that there was a reason they recommend you use shaving cream.

"YEOW!"

After taking the time to _actually apply_ the shaving cream, Ken resumed his task, not stopping until he'd removed all traces of the extra fur from his body. Carefully inspecting his handiwork, he let a sigh of relief and headed out of the bathroom, a happy smile on his face.

"Good morning Ken!" Sora greeted him cheerfully. "Wow, you sure seem to be in a good mood this morning!"

"Did something happen Master?" Shade asked, eyeing Ken quizzically.

"Let's just say I finally got something off my chest," Ken replied with a smile. _And my legs, and my hands. _Walking over to the table, Ken scooped some of the berry-kibble into bowls for himself and his Pokémon, and he and his friends all sat down to eat breakfast.

It wasn't long however before Ken became aware of a persistent itching, starting with his legs then moving to his chest. As Ken stopped eating to scratch the back of his hand, he noticed something that made his blood run cold.

"Holy crap it's coming back!" Taking off his shirt and pulling up his pant legs, Ken watched in horror as the pink hair quickly grew back to the way it had been before he'd removed it.

His Pokémon watched the scene in shock, eyes wide, as their friend quickly grew fur where they were pretty sure he hadn't had any before. Once it was over, Sora carefully approached a clearly very freaked out Ken and proceeded to nuzzle him reassuringly. He turned to her, and placed a shaky hand on her forehead, thankful for the gesture.

Sora nuzzled his hand affectionately, pausing when she felt the pink fur against her face. "What's happening to you Ken?"

"I-I don't know," he sputtered, pulling his hand away self-consciously.

"Hmm," Shade muttered thoughtfully, "I believe that Master is going through what humans call "puberty."

"I AM NOT!" Ken shouted, his face turning redder than a fire engine.

"Puberty is when humans grow hair where there wasn't any before," Shade replied calmly. "That describes your situation perfectly."

"Ok, I don't know _where_ you heard about human puberty, and I don't _want_ to know, but trust me, THIS ISN'T IT!" Ken growled, blushing like crazy.

"But Master, as I have said-"

"I AM NOT GOING THROUGH PUBERTY!" Ken shouted, more humiliated than he had ever been in his life. Forcing himself to calm down, he decided to try to explain to the crazy fish that he was mistaken. "Ok, yes humans grow more hair when they hit, erm, that time, but not _that much_! Besides, I'm fifteen! I already did that!" His two Pokémon stared at him, their expressions unreadable. "Gah! Can we talk about something besides puberty?" Ken cried, turning away from his Pokémon as his cheeks flushed red once more.

"If that is what you wish Master Mew," Shade replied calmly, clearly not understanding why Ken was so embarrassed.

Ken sighed, shoved his shirt back on, and resumed eating his breakfast. _It's official. I have the weirdest team in the history of Pokémon training!_

After breakfast, Ken packed up his stuff and was about to return Shade to his Pokeball, when he noticed both his Pokémon staring at him.

"Please tell me this isn't about puberty?" Ken asked with a sigh. Sora and Shade stared at him like he had two heads, confused expressions on their faces. "Ok…so it isn't," he mumbled, aware that he had just made a complete fool of himself. "What is it then?" he asked, desperately trying to regain whatever sense of dignity he'd had.

"I wish to know why you are becoming furry," Shade stated mater-of-factly.

"Yeah Ken, what's happening to you?" Sora asked, her voice full of concern.

"Don't you think I'd tell you if I knew?" Ken growled, tail lashing from side to side. "Look," he sighed, trying not to take his frustration out on his Pokémon, "I don't know what's happening to me, only that I'm becoming more like a Pokémon. I don't know why and I can't stop it!"

"Oh. Well, maybe Nurse Joy can help you! She seems nice!" Sora suggested.

"Maybe," Ken muttered uncertainly. "Don't forget I got the stupid nurse." It was at that point that Ken again had the feeling that he was forgetting something, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what it was. _Oh well, like Sora said, if I can't remember it must not be that important. _

Back in Pallet Town Professor Oak sat in front of a computer, books spread all around him. A digital representation of what happens when a Pokémon uses Transform was being displayed on the computer screen. Book in hand, the man flipped though several pages before suddenly slamming the book down on the table, a deep frown on his face.

"It's just as I'd feared," he sighed, shaking his head sadly. "I've got to call Ken and warn him right away!" Professor Oak stood up and turned to head to the video phone, but came face to face with a lone figure.

"Hello Professor, I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time?"

"Y-yes, of course," Professor Oak cautiously agreed. _Something doesn't feel right._

The figure smiled. "Good. Now perhaps you could tell me about this individual?" They held out a newspaper article, the title of which was, "Mew Boy Lives!"

Professor Oak's mouth went dry. _Oh Ken, please be all right. _

Author's notes: Well, Ken's Pokémon finally find out his secret, he keeps getting a mysterious visitor in his dreams, and Professor Oak finds out something important! The plot thickens! XD

Anyway, I hope that all of you are enjoying the fanfic so far, I know that I'm enjoying writing it! And next chapter Ken makes a new friend!

Sora: Please tell me that their not as crazy as the _last_ friend he made.

Me: Well Sora, I guess you'll just have to wait and find out! ^_^


	16. Chapter 15: Aint No Mountain High Enough

Authors Notes: Sorry about the huge gap between updates everybody. I meant to update sooner, but some things came up, the most pressing being that I sprained my ankle. I don't have internet at my house, besides my phone, so the only way I can post is to walk to somewhere that does, which obviously wasn't going to happen with my ankle like that. XD

Well, hopefully a set of paired chapters will help make up for it! :) Enjoy!

Chapter 15: Aint No Mountain High Enough

"Well, as far as I can tell, your fine!"

"Does _this_ look fine Mew you?" Ken growled, showing Nurse Joy the pink fur that had grown on the back of his hands. "That's not normal!"

"Well, you are part Pokémon," she replied with a shrug. "Maybe it'll go away."

Ken sighed. His difficulty understanding human speech may have gone away, but somehow, he didn't think he was going to be so lucky this time. "And what if it doesn't Mew away?"

"Beats me!" Nurse Joy laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Mew, Mew Mew Mew Mewmew Mew," Ken grumbled, which, unbeknownst to the woman standing next to him, translated to, "Yeah, I got the stupid nurse." Ken smiled. Sometimes, being bilingual had its advantages.

Nurse Joy frowned. "If you want me to understand what you're saying you need to speak English."

"Maybe I don't _want_ you to understand me you moron!" Ken replied in Pokespeak, well aware that she had no idea what he'd just said.

"Hmmm, is it getting harder for you to speak English?"

"Sometimes," Ken admitted, in English so she could understand him. "My two languages Mew getting all mixed up. Yesterday, I thought Mew was speaking English, but I wasn't."

"Hmmm," Nurse Joy mumbled thoughtfully. "Well, maybe this is just a natural process, a transition between being human and being a Pokémon!"

"Mew?" Ken squeaked, eyes popping out of his head. "Are Mew telling me that I'm going to become a Pokémon and there's nothing I can Mew about it?"

"Could be?" she chuckled, looking rather nervous.

Ken narrowed his eyes at her. "Mew have no idea, do you?"

"Nope! Not a clue!"

_Great, I definitely got the stupid nurse! _

"I heard that!"

_Crap!_

Realizing that this particular Nurse Joy wasn't going to be of any help, Ken decided that the best thing to do would be to just continue to Mt. Moon.

He and Sora hadn't even spent five minutes in the cave when a bunch of Zubat flew by, one of them pausing just long enough to nip Ken on the neck.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Ken looked out at where the Zubat had flown, a troubled look on his face. He had just been able to make out the word "digging" but nothing else the Zubat had said made any sense. Suddenly a familiar tingle flowed through his body. "Oh, no not again, not now!" he cried, as blue fur spread across his body, his arm morphed into wings, and his legs grew so thin that they could no longer support his body, forcing him to take to the air. He stood there flapping his little Zubat wings off before a terrible realization hit him. "I'm blind!"

"Well, _duh_," Sora sighed, a hint of laughter in her voice. "You don't have any eyes!"

Ken wanted to reach up and check for himself, but knowing that there was no way to do so, decided to take her word for it.

Sora sighed. As humorous as it was to watch her friend fly around in circles screaming, "I'm blind!" over and over, she knew she had to do _something_!

"Shut up Ken!" she screamed, hoping he'd at least stop flying around in circles like an idiot.

Ken's ears twitched, and he fired off an echolocation blast in the direction the sound came from. An image of a very irritated looking Sora appeared in his mind's eye before disappearing. "Whoa, that was cool!"

"What was?" Sora asked, puzzled.

"_That_," Ken repeated, as an image of Sora appeared in his head again, this time looking confused. "Zubat can see objects via echolocation!" He wasn't sure how he knew what he needed to do, but the Zubat part of him certainly did, and he fired off a large echolocation blast in the general area, causing the caves terrain to appear in his head.

"Ok…well, what do you see?"

"Hmm, mostly stalactites and stalagmites," Ken replied, scanning the area once more.

"Huh?"

"The big pointy rocks on the ceiling and the floor."

"Oh!"

Deciding that it would be better to _actually __be able to see,_ Ken focused on changing back to his human form. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten that he wasn't on the ground.

"Ahhh!" Ken let out a groan as he toppled to the cave floor, landing hard on his tail. Pulling himself up and gently rubbing the base of his tail in an effort to ease away the pain, Ken opened his eyes, never more grateful for sight in his life.

As they continued through the cave, several Pokémon began to attack them for no apparent reason. Ken tried to talk to them, but they were in a state of apparent panic, attacking anything in sight, and he had no choice but to have Sora fight back against them.

It wasn't easy. The Geodude took her Tackles like they were nothing, and the Zubat fought back with Leech Life, healing themselves as they attempted to drain Sora of her energy.

"Sora, I think you should get in your Pokeball," Ken insisted, holding up the red and white sphere.

"Are you kidding? I'd have to be _crazy_ to wanna go in there!"

"Shade goes inside _his_ Pokeball," Ken pointed out irritably.

"I rest my case!"

"Oh, come on Sora!"

Sora rolled her eyes. "He calls it the Sphere of Command."

"Ok, point taken, but can't you just get in here this _once_?" Ken asked, practically begging his stubborn Bulbasaur to listen to him.

"Nope!"

As a Geodude suddenly charged her, Sora released a pair of vines and smacked it away, with much success.

"Vine Whip?" Ken asked, excited that Sora had learned her first offensive grass type move.

"Yep! See Ken? I can take care of myself!" she boasted proudly.

"I can see that Sora," Ken chuckled, patting his Pokémon on the head. Glancing around the cave, he turned to her, a troubled look on his face. "Let's go Sora. Something's getting all the Pokémon here riled up. The sooner we get out of here the better." Sora nodded and followed quickly after her friend, deeper into the depths of Mt. Moon.

Elsewhere in the cave, a group of Team Rocket members was drilling away at the cave floor, disturbing several of the nearby Pokémon with the noise.

"Keep digging!" one of the Rockets shouted to his teammates. "Those fossils have gotta be here somewhere!"

"Yes sir!" the others answered in unison, increasing their efforts.

The Rocket grinned evilly. Yes, Giovanni would have his Mew fossil. He'd make sure of that! And best of all, this time there was no freaky Mew Boy here to stop him!

"Ken, are you sure were going the right way?" Sora asked for about the fifth time.

"Of course I'm sure Sora!" Ken replied, face buried in the map, tail gently swaying from side to side. "The exits right there!" he proclaimed, pointing dramatically.

"Ken? That's a rock."

Ken muttered irritably under his breath and turned his attention back to the map. They _had _to be going the right way! "Oh for crying out loud! Can't they just put up a "You are here" sign in this cave or something?" Ken cried out in frustration.

"Maybe you should stop and ask for directions," Sora suggested.

"Do you _see_ anybody here I can ask Sora?" Ken growled, tilting the map to the side to try and make heads or tails of it.

"Uh-huh."

"What?" Ken looked up from the increasingly irritating map to see a small Pokémon staring at him. Or at least he _thought_ it was staring at him, he couldn't really tell if its eyes were open or closed. It was then that it finally dawned on him that he had no clue what in the world the Pokémon was. It was yellow and pale green and vaguely resembled some sort of rodent, its eyes shut tight and its body hunched over. "What in the world is that?" Ken asked, reaching into his backpack and grabbing the Pokedex.

"Beats me," Sora replied with a shrug, as Ken pointed the Pokedex at the unknown creature.

The Pokémon shivered slightly but continued to stare at Ken, as if it wanted to ask him something but was too afraid to do so.

The Pokedex let out a soft ping, then said in mechanical sounding voice, "Pokémon unknown. Would you like to check the National List?" Ken quickly selected yes and pointed it at the Pokémon once again. "Pokémon not on National List. Unable to identify."

"What? Come on! It _has_ to be on the National List!" Ken growled, mashing the buttons on the Pokedex. "Stupid piece of junk!"

"Um, Ken? I think you're pointing it the wrong way."

Ken blinked, then noticed that he had accidentally pointed the Pokedex at himself rather than the Pokémon. "Oh."

Pointing the device at the Pokémon this time, another ping was heard and the Pokedex spoke again. "Pokémon unknown. Would you like to check the National List?" Trying very hard not to turn his Pokedex into a jigsaw puzzle, Ken once again selected yes. "Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokémon, and one of the starter Pokémon of the Johto region. No further information available. Please update Pokedex."

"Well, I guess that's better than nothing," Ken grumbled, making a mental note to upgrade his Pokedex as soon as possible. "But what's a Cyndaquil doing in Kanto?"

"Umm, y-your him right?" the Cyndaquil asked in a tiny voice, taking a couple of cautious steps towards Ken. "You look like him…I mean, I-I think you do…"

"Are you looking for someone or something?" Ken asked, trying his best not to frighten the nervous Pokémon.

The Cyndaquil slowly nodded. "My Trainer and I were…" Suddenly flames shot from his back and he turned to Ken, a look of panic on his face. "Please! You have to help my Trainer! We were walking through this cave, when one of those big pointy rocks fell from the ceiling on top of him! He's trapped and I can't move it! Please!" The Cyndaquil ran shakily over to Ken, attempting to latch onto his leg.

"Whoa! Chill ok? Of course I'll help your Trainer! Just don't touch me!" Ken sputtered, backing away from the Cyndaquil.

The mouse-like Pokémon hurriedly backed away, a hurt expression on his face. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean…"

"What? No! That's not what I meant!" Kneeling down and looking the Cyndaquil in the eye, he tried to get the little Pokémon to understand that it was nothing personal. "Look, it's not that I don't want you around or anything, ok? It's just that every time I touch a Pokémon I've never met before I Transform into that Pokémon. Trust me, I wouldn't be much use to you as a Cyndaquil!" Ken laughed.

The Pokémon's expression brightened and he gazed at Ken in awe. "Really? That's so cool!"

"Not if you're not doing it on purpose," Ken sighed, remembering his first encounter with Sora. "In fact, it's pretty scary to be honest. Now how about we find your Trainer?"

"Right! He's over here! Follow me!" And with that, he dashed off deeper into Mt. Moon, Ken and Sora following close behind.

Following the Cyndaquil deeper into the cave, Ken couldn't help but wonder what would bring a Trainer from another region to Kanto.

"So, why'd you come here anyway?"

"To find him," the little Pokémon whispered quietly, barely glancing at Ken.

"To find who? Who's 'him'?"

"You."

Ken nearly tripped over his own feet when he heard this, but what he saw next shocked him even more.

There, just up ahead, was a Trainer pinned beneath a fallen stalactite, apparently unconscious. He was about six foot seven, very muscular, with strait black hair that came down to his ears. He was very pale with black stripes running down his long arms and a sort of yellow pad on each shoulder. He wore a light blue t-shirt, black jeans, and a white ankle length fur coat with brown hiking boots.

"_That's_ your Trainer?" Ken asked, eyes glued to the figure before him.

"Uh-huh. Please help him!" the Cyndaquil pleaded, back igniting once again in a rush of flames.

"He's like me," Ken whispered, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"What do you mean Ken?" Sora asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

But Ken barely heard her, desperately trying to find a name for the image that was now forcing itself into his brain. "R-Regi…gigis…"

Ken held his head as it began to pound, his vision beginning to blur. An image of a large white golem-like creature was now forcing its way into his brain, along with the name "Regigigas." Falling forward onto his knees and clutching his head in pain, Ken tried to force the information out of his head, but the pain just got worse as more words began to intrude upon his consciousness.

"Regigigas…Colossal Pokémon…Legendary from Shinnoh…" Ken moaned as he struggled against the knowledge that was being forcibly inserted into his brain.

"Ken! What's wrong?" Sora cried, nudging her friend with her paws in a desperate attempt to catch his attention.

But Ken didn't hear a word she said. In fact, it seemed as if the whole world had just disappeared, leaving him helpless to fight off the assault on his unprepared brain.

_Don't fight it,_ a small voice in the back of his head spoke to him. Reluctantly, Ken allowed himself to relax and the pain instantly faded away.

Ken found himself in a white world, alone and helpless, yet somehow, he wasn't afraid. Something inside told him that everything was going to be fine and that, whatever the reason, he was meant to be here. He looked around the blank scenery, unable to escape the feeling of familiarity that was now welling up within him.

"Hello?" Ken called out, unsure of where he was exactly. "Can anyone hear me?" He didn't know why he'd asked, there was nobody here to hear him. But someone did.

"Hello? Who are you?"

"Um…I'm Ken," he replied uncertainly. "Who are you?"

"Chris," the voice replied, sounding far away. "Where am I?"

"Beats me," Ken replied with a shrug, unsure if he and whoever it was were even in the same place, as the other voice sounded so far away.

"Where's Jerry?"

"Who?" Ken asked, completely puzzled.

"My Cyndaquil."

Ken gasped. _I'm talking to that Cyndaquils unconscious Trainer, IN MY HEAD! But how is that even POSSIBLE? _Feeling like he'd just gotten transported into an episode of the Twilight Zone, Ken attempted to figure out how he was supposed to help Chris.

"Hello? Can you still hear me?" Chris asked, sounding even farther away than before.

"Yeah," Ken replied, beginning to feel strangely weak. "Listen, your Pokémon is fine, but I need to know how I can help you. I don't think I can lift that rock."

"That's easy…jus…lease…my…ar…"

Ken struggled to make out what Chris was saying, but found that his strength was quickly leaving him. A couple of seconds later he found himself back in the real world, breathing heavily and feeling like he'd just hit the crash that inevitably follows a sugar rush.

"Ken! Are you ok?" Sora asked, eyes wide with concern.

"Y-yeah," he shakily replied. That, of course, was a complete lie. The truth was, he felt like he was going to collapse from exhaustion any moment, but he knew that he had to help the Trainer he'd just spoken to and find out just what was going on. Slowly approaching the fallen stalactite, which in itself was a struggle, Ken quickly realized that even if he had his full strength, there was no way that he would be able to move it. The only other solution would be to somehow break it, but how? "Sora? Do you think you could break this for me?"

She shook her head. "I don't have any moves that could shatter a rock like that. I'm sorry Ken."

Ken turned to Jerry hopefully, but the Cyndaquil shook his head sadly. Ken sighed. Judging from this guy's appearance, he had more than enough strength to break the rock, if only he wasn't pinned beneath it. And unconscious.

_Maybe if I Transform into something, I'll be able to break the rock,_ he thought, then promptly discarded the idea. _There's no way I have enough energy to do that right now, and even if I could, I'd probably end up with an incomplete Transformation,_ he realized miserably. Suddenly his eyes widened. _But maybe that's just what I need right now!_

Focusing with all his might on the appearance of a Rattata, he willed his face to change, picturing the purple and white fur sprouting, the ears, the whiskers, and most importantly, the huge front teeth. _Just let me change a little,_ he begged. _Just enough so I can shatter that stalactite with a Hyper Fang! _

"Ken! What's happening to your face?" Sora cried out in surprise as she watched Ken's face begin to shift and twist, purple and white fur spreading, whiskers sprouting, front teeth growing ridiculously long and sharp.

Ken opened his eyes to find Sora staring at him with her mouth wide open, eyes practically popping out of her head. "Well, I take it that I did change judging from the way you're looking at me," he sighed, reaching up to inspect his new front teeth. They were a Rattata's, obviously, but WAY bigger. "Perfect!" Ken chuckled, a smile on his face as he approached the fallen stalactite. "Let's just hope this works."

Remembering how he had done it last time, Ken quickly aimed a Hyper Fang at the object, sinking his fangs deep into stone. Nothing happened. He tried again, and this time a small hairline crack appeared on the surface. Repeating the attack, the crack grew steadily bigger, until at last the rock shattered.

_Better…reverse the…Transformation,_ Ken thought to himself weakly as he quickly began to lose consciousness. The last thing he was aware of was a moan coming from nearby, and then, darkness.


	17. Chapter 16: To Keep Me From Getin To You

Authors Notes: Ok, first things first: Credit to James95 for his OC Chris, the Regigis hybrid, as well as Jerry, Arch, and Kyo. Thank you very much! :)

Chapter 16: To Keep Me From Gettin' To You

Ken awoke some time later feeling rather groggy. _What happened? _Blinking several times he became aware of the stalactites and stalagmites of Mt. Moon, the stone walls, the rocky floor that was now moving beneath him… _Wait a minute, why is the floor moving?_ It took a couple seconds for him to realize that _he _was the one that was moving, being carried to be exact.

"So, you're finally awake, huh?"

Ken turned in the direction of the voice to find that he was currently slung over one of the massive shoulders of the Regigigas hybrid, Chris, and was now being carried through the cave, not unlike a sack of potatoes. His first reaction was to panic and demand that he be set down immediately, but his body didn't want to respond yet, and he found himself unable to do anything more than make an affirmative grunt and allow himself to continue to be carried without complaint.

Chris laughed. "Take it easy, ok? You were pretty wiped out when I came to."

Ken nodded weakly, unable to do much else. He felt his body willing him to go back to sleep, but he fought it, wanting to know what was going on, and why he felt so weak. His body, however, didn't like that idea, and he was out like a light within moments.

He awoke once again sometime later, a roaring campfire crackling nearby and the smell of food cooking. With a groan, Ken sat up and saw Chris busily stirring a pot full of what Ken assumed to be soup over the fire.

"How ya feeling?"

"Like crap," Ken moaned, forgetting entirely to speak English.

Chris laughed. "I'll bet. Psychic energy takes a huge toll on the body. At least that's what Arch tells me."

"Arch?" Ken asked, surprised yet thankful that Chris could understand him. It was a lot easier than worrying about keeping his speech coherent, which usually didn't work out so well.

"My Ralts," Chris explained, motioning to a small green and white humanoid figure that was currently sitting quietly off to the side and watching the flames crackle in the fire.

"Oh," Ken replied, uncertain of what a Ralts was exactly and making another mental note to get his Pokedex updated as soon as possible. He glanced around for Sora and quickly spotted her sitting with Jerry the Cyndaquil, thus solving the mystery of how the fire had been started. Ken blinked as he spotted a green dinosaur-like creature sitting near Chris, gnawing on a small rock like it was a piece of candy.

Chris followed Ken's puzzled gaze and sighed. "Kyo, I told you not to snack before meals! You're gonna spoil your appetite!"

"But I'm hungry _now_!" the Pokémon whined, clutching the rock to his chest like it was his own personal treasure. Ken half expected the little creature to whisper "My precious" and start petting the rock like a crazed psycho.

Chris gave him a sharp look and the little Pokémon dropped the rock, arms crossed and an irritated look on his face. "That's Kyo, my Larvitar," Chris explained, motioning to the grumpy little lizard. "Don't worry, he's usually in a better mood then this. Right now he's just hungry."

Ken slowly nodded. _What in the world are these Pokémon?_ he wondered. _I've certainly never heard of them before. _

"There not from Kanto," Chris explained. Whether he had heard Ken's thoughts or was simply going by Ken's clueless expression, Ken wasn't sure, but was interested just the same. "See, I came from Shinnoh, where I got Kyo, Jerry, and Arch. You probably have never even heard of them here in Kanto."

"Yeah, they're not exactly what were used to seeing around here," Ken agreed, glancing over at the three Pokémon. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. "But the Pokedex said that Cyndaquil is one of the starter Pokémon from Johto!"

"That's right," Chris agreed, looking over at his Cyndaquil with a fond expression. "Professor Elm gave him to me when he came to visit my hometown of Snowpoint to study the ruins there."

"Ruins?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah, the ruins of the Snowpoint Temple, said to be the home of Regigigas."

Ken flinched as he heard the name of the Pokémon whose information had been forced into his brain, but still, curiosity compelled him to find out more. "Regigigas? That's what you are right?"

"Well, kinda," Chris muttered, looking rather embarrassed.

"Sorry!" Ken quickly apologized, remembering how much it offended him when other people referred to him as a Pokémon. "What I mean is, you're like me, right?"

"Yeah," Chris acknowledged, a smile forming on his face. "In fact, I came here to meet you, actually."

"What?" Ken asked in shock.

"Yeah, see I heard that there was a Mew guy traveling around Kanto, and I figured I'd check it out and see if the rumors were true. Looks like they are."

Ken immediately turned bright red. "You're telling me that people are talking about me all the way in Shinnoh?"

Chris nodded. "Uh-huh. Everybody's talking about it. You've got a pretty big reputation, actually. Everybody says that you have amazing psychic powers and that you can talk to Pokémon! Nobody seems to be able to agree on whether you can speak English or not, though," Chris explained as he began to scoop the soup up into bowls.

Ken's ears twitched. "Ok, first of all, yes I can speak English, it's just a little incoherent at times. Second, I don't have any "amazing psychic powers." I'm just a regular guy with Mew ears and a tail."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because you definitely used some psychic energy earlier to link with my mind, and as I was waking up it looked like you were just reversing a Transformation of some kind."

"Well, ok, I can Transform, and I _have _used telepathy before, but all that's been good for is giving people a listen in on my private thoughts when I don't want them to. I can't control either and there both just a huge pain in the neck to be honest. I can't do anything else."

"But you did!" Chris insisted, forgetting about the soup for a minute and turning his full attention to Ken.

"Look, all that happened was, I got a headache, information on Regigigas hijacked my brain, and you and I used our heads like a pair of walkie-talkies. I have _no idea_ how to explain any of that!" Ken cried out, tail twitching in frustration.

Chris looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, Mom always did say that legendary Pokémon have a way of communicating with each other with their minds. Sort of a "Legend Radio." She always told me that they could communicate and sense each other's presence from anywhere in the world."

Ken blinked in surprise. "Really? That's never happened before."

"Keep in mind, you and I aren't _real _legendary Pokémon. It probably doesn't work very well with us. We probably have to be in close range."

"Oh." Suddenly a thought occurred to Ken. "What about _real_ legendary Pokémon? Could they communicate with us?"

"If they wanted to, probably," Chris replied with a shrug. "Personally, I don't think they'd want to, though."

"Why not?" Ken asked, confused.

"Well, no offence or anything, but, were freaks."

"_What_?"

"Well, we kinda are," Chris replied with a sigh. "I mean, how many people have you met so far that haven't looked at you like you were some sort of side show attraction?"

Ken opened his mouth to protest, then immediately closed it when he realized that he'd met a grand total of zero, Nurse Joy and Professor Oak not included, since Nurse Joy was always nice to Trainers, and Professor Oak was, well, Professor Oak.

"Exactly. And what makes you think that the other legendaries are gonna be happy that some of their members have been having relations with humans?"

"Well I guess-" Ken blinked and looked at Chris, remembering the image that had popped into his head. "How did…er…your dad…?"

"Oh. Not in the way you're thinking of course!" Chris laughed, blushing slightly. "See, my mother was in this tunnel when she stumbled across this orb that was rumored to contain the soul of Regigigis. Without the orb, Dads just a statue. Unfortunately, before she could retrieve it, the tunnel started collapsing. Apparently, Dad was able to look into her mind and he gave both of them what they had always wanted, a baby. Mom awoke outside the tunnel safe and sound, and, as she soon found out, pregnant. She gave birth to me nine months later, just like your average baby." Chris explained, causing Ken to stare at him in awe.

"And Regigigis wanted a kid because?"

"Well, Mom told me that it was to provide guidance for his three sons, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel. I can't tell you more than that."

"Wait, so you have three Pokémon brothers out there somewhere?" Ken asked in disbelief.

"Well, technically half brothers, but yeah," Chris replied with a shrug. "I've yet to meet them, but I'm sure I will someday. I just hope they like me. It's a little weird being related to a Pokémon, you know what I mean?"

Ken nodded. "My dad gained human form via the Transform move and he and Mom fell in love, apparently. But, he left before I was born, something about it not working out."

Chris nodded. "I can see how the whole species barrier could present a problem."

Ken nodded, gratefully accepting a bowl of soup from Chris. "Yeah, but I'd still like to meet him."

Remembering that Shade had been in his Pokeball this entire time, Ken quickly rummaged through his backpack, took out the gold plated Pokeball, and released the quirky fish.

"Hello Master," Shade greeted with a bow, then spotted Chris. "Oh, I see that you have made a friend. Glad to meet you. May name is Shade," he explained to Chris with a bow. "Are you to be joining our order?"

Chris blinked. "Huh?"

"I think he means, are you joining our group?" Ken translated.

"Oh. Well, yeah, I'd like to, if that's ok with you that is," Chris admitted shyly.

"That'd be great!" Ken replied with a smile. "I…well, don't have many friends," he admitted, averting his gaze from Chris rather sadly. "Everybody looks at me funny, and I swear, if I have to explain what I am ONE MORE TIME, I'm gonna tattoo "I am human" to my forehead!"

Chris put a hand over his mouth, unable to stop the inevitable laughter that followed. "I don't think that that would be the most practical solution."

Ken couldn't help joining in the laughter, his laugh a high-pitched and slightly melodic Mew giggle. Clamping a hand over his mouth, he turned to Chris, who was now eyeing him strangely.

"Something wrong Ken?"

"Um…I guess not," Ken muttered uncertainly. _Didn't he notice how Pokémon-like that sounded?_

"Of course I noticed," Chris replied, causing Ken to wonder if he should start wearing a tin foil hat. "What's the big deal?"

"I'm not supposed to sound like that!" Ken snapped, ears twitching. "I'm a human being, not a Pokémon!"

Chris regarded his new friend sympathetically. "We're hybrids Ken. Were bound to have some Pokémon-like characteristics. It's perfectly natural, and there's nothing either of us can do about it."

"Yeah well, I didn't always sound like that, and it's not all the time either," Ken stubbornly insisted.

"Just when you're really happy, right?" Chris asked with a grin.

"Yeah," Ken admitted, surprised. "How'd you know?"

"Cause when you're really happy, you can't fake it."

"What are you saying? That most of the time when I laugh it's not real?" Ken demanded.

"Yeah. Look, whether you realize it or not, you're censoring your behavior and altering it to match what you've learned to be "normal." Even if you're only doing it on a subconscious level, you're still doing it."

Ken swirled the chunks of meat around in his soup thoughtfully, trying to make sense of what Chris was telling him. _Have I really been faking it for years? No, that can't be, I would've noticed! How can I be faking and not even know that I'm faking?_ Ken sighed, not sure what to make of Chris's statement. It was true that there seemed to be a part of his personality that even _he _wasn't aware of until recently, so he supposed it was _possible. _Still, he didn't like the idea that he wasn't completely aware of all aspects of his personality. _Come to think of it, I haven't been quite myself lately,_ Ken realized, casting a quick glance at the fur on the back of his hands. _Maybe Chris is right. _Now that he thought about it, though his journey was hard, it made him happier than he'd ever been in his life.

"So, you're saying that's normal?"

"Of course it is Ken. Don't worry, I know its a little weird being part Pokémon, but you get used to it. Trust me, the sooner you stop caring what other people think, the better."

Ken slowly nodded. People certainly weren't getting any more accepting of him. Taking a bite of soup, Ken let out a purr of pleasure at how delicious it was. Chris said nothing, and Ken decided that he didn't really care either. Turning to Chris, he asked the question that had been gnawing on his mind for awhile now.

"Hey Chris? What if I end up turning into a Pokémon? You know, as in all the way? What am I supposed to do? What if-"

"Ken, relax. You are not turning into a Pokémon!" Chris assured him with a laugh, taking a bite of soup. "Trust me. Your fine!"

"I'm not so sure," Ken muttered, stirring the soup around absentmindedly. "This wasn't here yesterday," he explained, holding up his hands and showing Chris the pink fur.

"I still maintain that you are going through puberty," Shade stated, taking a few bites of soup. "To clarify, there is no fish in here, correct?"

"For the last time I AM NOT GOING THROUGH PUBERTY!"

"Its beef Shade," Chris explained, stifling a laugh. Turning to Ken with a more serious look on his face, he asked, "Just how much hair are we talking?"

Ken eyed Chris nervously for a moment, then figured that he had nothing to lose, especially considering that even the nurses had no idea what was wrong with him. With a sigh, he took off his shirt, pulled up his pant legs, and looked to Chris hopefully.

Chris let out a long, low whistle before turning to Ken with a shrug. "Beats me. I had some muscle increase when I entered my teenage years, but lots of guys do. I don't know how to explain _that_. How long has it been there anyway?"

"Not long," Ken replied, pulling off his shoes and motioning to his Mew-like feet. "They've always been this way, but the pink fur is only supposed to come up to my ankles, and I've never had any on my chest or hands before." With a sigh, he put his shirt and shoes back on, pulled his pant legs back down, and resumed eating his soup. "Any thoughts?"

"I'm not sure Ken, nothing like that has ever happened to me before. Of course, a giant inanimate golem and a pink psychic cat are hardly the same thing. You might have better luck asking another hybrid, one who's Pokémon half is a little more…organic."

"You're telling me that there are more people like us?"

Chris shrugged. "I don't know, could be?"

Ken narrowed his eyes. "You have no idea, do you?"

"Nope! Not a clue!" Chris admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "But if there _are _any other hybrids out there, chances are they'll find us sooner or later."

"Let's hope its sooner," Ken grumbled, taking another bite of soup. "Before there's nothing human left in me."

Authors Notes: Well, I hope everybody enjoyed the paired chapters! Now that my ankle is feeling better, I'll try to resume weekly updates, so you can all look forward to that! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated! :)


	18. Chapter 17: It's Not That Easy

Chapter 17: It's Not That Easy

Ken ate his soup rather slowly, lost in thought. _What if I just keep changing until there's nothing human left? _He glanced at his Bulbasaur and Magikarp who appeared to be enjoying the meal, as well as the company of the other Pokémon. _What happens to them if I can't be their Trainer anymore? _

"So…you got Sora from Professor Oak, right?" Chris asked, hoping to get his new friend to cheer up.

Ken smiled, although the expression seemed slightly pained, as if their first meeting hadn't been quite what the teen had expected. "Yep. Oh boy, was that awkward."

"You can say that again!" Sora laughed. "Ken Transformed into a Bulbasaur and totally freaked out!"

"Not your idea of fun, huh Ken?" Kyo teased, suppressing a laugh.

"Not particularly," Ken agreed with a smile.

"Come on Kyo," Chris laughed. "Our first meeting wasn't exactly the best either."

"What happened?" Sora asked, inching closer to Chris, eager to hear the story.

"Well, my mom knows a breeder who specializes in raising Dark type Pokémon and one of his Tyranitar had recently laid her eggs. So, Mom bought one of them for me, figuring that it would be nice for me to have a friend. I wasn't exactly Mr. Popular at school, if you know what I mean."

Ken nodded understandingly, then frowned. "Wait, what about Jerry?"

"Oh, I hadn't met Jerry yet," Chris explained, patting the Cyndaquil on the head. "Kyo was my first ever Pokémon." He chuckled as Ken stared at him wide-eyed, understanding the Mew hybrids reaction. "Yeah I know, she might have gone a little overboard. Honestly, I half expected a Shiny Dratini-Eevee cross to hatch from the egg!"

Ken was soon caught in a bout of genuine laughter. He understood exactly what Chris meant as his own mother had once bought him a gigantic Snorlax doll-roughly the same size as his bed-after one of his toys had gotten lost. It later had to be moved to the attic since it took up so much space, and he could play with it there whenever he wanted.

_Man, I haven't played with that thing since I was nine, _he thought to himself with a smile. _Maybe I'll take it out of the attic the next time I'm home-wait, what? What am I thinking? That's a child's toy! I'm fifteen for crying out loud! _Ken shook his head, shocked that he'd just experienced such a desire, one that he hadn't experienced in years.

"Ken, you ok?"

"Huh?" Ken looked over at Chris, who was now eyeing him with concern. "Yeah, I'm fine," he assured Chris with a smile. "You were saying?"

"Well, after Mom gave me the egg I took care of it until it hatched into Kyo here," Chris explained with a smile, patting his Larvitar on the head. "I was so excited! My very first Pokémon! I guess I was a little too excited, cause when I reached out my hand to pet Kyo, he bit me."

Sora snorted and burst into a fit of laughter, the others quickly joining in. Soon, the group of friends were laughing and talking and having a good time, completely unaware of the small pink Pokémon that stood watching.

_Those sure are funny looking Pokémon-wait! That one's a Mew! _she thought, eyes sparkling with joy. _Finally! Someone new for Zoey to play with!_

After lunch, Ken returned Shade to his Pokeball, while Chris returned Arch and Kyo, allowing Jerry to stay outside his Pokeball to hang out with Sora.

Ken was happy to see that the two of them were getting along so well, since Sora and Shade never seemed to see eye to eye.

The Bulbasaur and Cyndaquil happily walked along side them, chatting and exchanging stories.

"So then Ken said, "Aw crap!" and we got stuck with a crazy fish!" Sora told Jerry, who began to laugh.

"Sora!" Ken scolded. "Shade is not crazy! Tell a different story, ok?"

Sora rolled her eyes, looking very irritated, before a smile crept its way across her face. "So I told Ken to try some Pokémon Food one time, and he was all, "I DON'T EAT POKEMON FOOD!" which is a total lie, cause I've seen him do it, and then he starts eating it face first-"

"Ok, I changed my mind. Go back to telling about how Shade is crazy."

The two Pokémon burst out laughing and Ken began to wonder if any of his secrets were safe anymore.

Suddenly, a swarm of angry Zubat flew by, forcing the group to duck in order to avoid them.

"What's going on here?" Ken growled, covering his head with his arms. "Yeow!" He quickly coiled his tail around him as a Zubat sank its fangs into the furry appendage.

"The Pokémon here _have _been acting pretty weird lately," Chris agreed, glancing in the direction the Zubat had fled. "Something's upsetting them."

"Yeah. I caught the word "digging" earlier, but I don't know what they're talking about. I haven't seen anyone else here all day."

"Maybe we should check it out?" Chris suggested. "If the Pokémon here are _that_ upset, it can't be just some travelers excavating fossils."

"Fossils?" Ken asked, remembering the fossil that currently lay tucked inside his backpack.

"Yeah. Mt. Moon is famous for its fossils. People come here all the time to search for them. The Pewter Museum of Science has several on display."

"Yeah, I've seen those," Ken replied, remembering his trip to the museum…and how it was rudely interrupted by Team Rocket. "Oh, crap."

"What?"

"I think I know why the Pokémon are so upset!" Ken shouted, hurrying off in the direction the Zubat had come from.

"Really? Why?" Chris asked, hurrying after his friend.

"You'll know when we find them!" Ken called over his shoulder, heading deep into the depths of Mt. Moon.

"Any luck yet?" the Team Rocket member growled to his team mates, tapping his foot impatiently.

"I found a Dome fossil!" one young Team Rocket Grunt announced, holding up her find to show her supervisor.

"What? Is that all?" he growled, causing her confidence to crumble beneath his gaze. "Mew. What part of _Mew_ do you not understand?" He slowly smiled and addressed her more calmly. "Do you not know what a Dome fossil _is_? See how it looks like the shell of a Kabuto?" The woman nodded hesitantly. "Well, do you have any idea why that might be? No? Well, my dear girl, that would be because it's the fossil of a KABUTO!" he screamed, causing the young women in front of him, who couldn't have been more than nineteen, to tremble.

Seeing this, several members of Team Rocket quickly shoved their Dome and Helix fossils under the nearest rock, and resumed digging.

"I will succeed," the Rocket supervisor growled under his breath. "Once we find the Mew fossil, Giovanni will be in command of the most powerful Pokémon in existence!" he cackled madly. "And best of all there's no Mew Boy here to stop me!"

"Aw crap!"

The Rocket stopped his evil laugh just in time to see a boy who looked suspiciously like a Mew tumble forward and land at his feet. "You have _got _to be kidding me."

Ken sat up and rubbed the back of his head, making a mental note that caves didn't have such level ground or sure footing, and that it was incredibly easy to trip. Standing up, he came practically eye to eye with a very confused yet angry looking Team Rocket member.

"Oh, crap."

The Rocket glared at Ken with what could only be described as pure resentment. Clearly, Ken was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Hello Mew Boy," he said through clenched teeth, his voice frighteningly calm. "What, may I ask, are you doing here?"

"Umm…heading Mew Cerulean City?" Ken replied uncertainly, barely noticing that the Rocket had just referred to him as "Mew Boy."

"Right, of course," the Rocket chuckled in a creepily friendly tone. "Sure it has nothing to do with RUINING MY PLANS AGAIN?"

Ken took a step backward as the Rocket screamed at him, ears flattening against his head. _What in the world is his problem?_

"What's my problem? Do you _really _wanna know?" Ken honestly did not, but had the funny feeling that this man was going to tell him anyway, so he remained silent, awaiting his reply. "No? Well, I'll tell you anyway! YOU are the reason we failed to complete our last mission! YOU are the reason the boss is making everyone's lives miserable! YOU are the reason why I might lose my chance to become an Admin, a position that I am _this close_ to achieving!"

Ken gulped as he realized just who this man was. He was the same Rocket who had led the attempt at stealing the fossil from the Pewter Museum of Science, a fossil that currently lay tucked away in Ken's backpack.

"Ken wait up!"

Ken turned to see Chris, Sora, and Jerry run up to him, and although he was grateful that they were there, meaning he wouldn't have to face this psycho alone, he couldn't help but think that this was the _last place_ they'd want to be.

The Rocket blinked in confusion as the Regigigas hybrid showed up, then smirked. "So, you've made a friend have you? Well, I suppose it's only natural for you to want to be with your own kind."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ken demanded, ears twitching.

"It means freaks enjoy the company of other freaks," the Rocket replied smugly, smile growing as he saw Kens face turn red with anger.

"_What_ did you call me?" Ken demanded, tail beginning to lash back and forth in fury.

"You heard me," the Rocket taunted, chuckling in amusement as he watched the Mew Boy's ears flatten against his skull in a very clear expression of feline displeasure. "Now, I believe you have something that belongs to me." He watched as the hybrids ears twitched and he blinked in obvious surprise. "What? Did you _really_ think that I'd forgotten? Seriously, after all that you put me through?" He took a step forward, hand held out, a cruel smile on his face. "I'll take the fossil you stole from me back now, if you don't mind."

"What fossil?" Chris asked, turning to Ken, a confused look on his face.

"Oh, didn't your furry friend tell you? He took a very valuable fossil from me, and caused me a heap of trouble. I just want what's mine. That's not too much to ask is it?"

"You're the one who tried to steal it from the Pewter Museum of Science!" Ken growled, glaring angrily at the man. "One of the scientists just happened to give it to me to keep it safe from the likes of you!"

"You say potato, I say hand-me-the-fossil-before-I-have-to-use-force," the Rocket shrugged, fingering the Pokeballs at his belt. Ken flinched as he saw this, knowing that Sora and Shade were still inexperienced. The man smiled. "Good. Now, be a good kitty and give me the fossil and I might let you leave."

"He doesn't have to give you anything," Chris stated firmly, stepping forward and placing a hand on Ken's shoulder. "Don't worry Ken, I've got your back."

Ken smiled and nodded and Sora and Jerry stepped forward, ready to battle.

The Rocket eyed the two Pokémon with mild amusement. "Do you really think that your little pets can stop me? This isn't a game! You can't just waltz on in here and be the big hero!"

Ken gritted his teeth as the Rocket released an Arbok and a Sandslash from their Pokeballs, both of which looked pretty powerful. _What am I supposed to do now?_

Before Ken could even think of a plan, Chris had already called Jerry over to his side and sent out Arch, who surveyed the Arbok calmly before blasting it into the nearest wall with a Confusion attack. The snake let out and angry his and quickly slithered forward, ready to strike.

"Sora use Vine Whip on Sandslash!" Ken instructed.

"You got it Ken!" Sora responded, extending long slender whip-like vines and giving the Sandslash a painful lashing. The Pokémon let out a cry as it was hurled backwards, right into the rapidly approaching Arbok.

"YEOW!" the snake screamed as the creatures sharp spines dug deep into its flesh. The Sandslash got to its feet just as its team mate decided to take a snap at it, the sharp fangs just barely missing their mark.

"What did you do that for?" he demanded, raising his claws.

"You're the one who ssstabbed me!" the snake hissed, hood expanding in a rather intimidating fashion.

"That was an accident! You tried to bite me on purpose!" the Sandslash fumed, glaring angrily at the purple cobra.

"You know, you're right, and thissss isss on purpossse too!" Arbok hissed, launching herself at her team mate, who responded by striking her with his massive claws.

Ken watched in confusion as the two Pokémon who were supposed to be friends began to beat each other to a pulp, oblivious to their Trainers commands to attack the Bulbasaur and Ralts.

"That's not really what a Pokémon battle is supposed to be like," Sora commented, watching the scene in bewilderment. "Don't they know that they're supposed to be fighting _the other Trainers Pokémon?_"

"A house divided can't stand," Arch stated calmly, crossing his arms. "I suggest we retreat before those two remember who it is they're supposed to be fighting."

"What? And just let Team Rocket do what they want here?" Ken asked in disbelief.

The Ralts nodded. "Were outnumbered, overpowered, and, even if by some miracle we manage to win, what makes you think that they'll just let us leave? These are _criminals_ Ken. They don't play by the rules."

Ken opened his mouth to protest, then quickly closed it. As much as he hated to admit it, Arch was right. Team Rocket wanted that fossil, and they'd do _anything_ to get it.

With a sigh, Ken reluctantly took off with his friends, hoping to find the exit of Mt. Moon before Team Rocket decided to do something crazy and drastic.

"You idiots! They're getting away!" the Rocket supervisor shouted to the feuding Sandslash and Arbok, who stopped and blinked at their Trainer. "Well, don't just stand there gawking! After them!"

"Arch Teleport!" Chris instructed as the pair of Pokémon charged after them, claws and fangs at the ready.

The Ralts nodded, his eyes glowing a bright blue, his body becoming outlined in an identical glow. Ken felt very strange for a moment as his body too took on the blue aura, then the world around them seemed to jump and for a brief moment, he had no idea where he was. A second later he reappeared somewhere else in the cave, feeling nauseous and dizzy, pleading with the soup to remain inside his stomach.

"What the heck?" Ken groaned, falling forward onto his knees and clutching his stomach.

"Sorry about that," Chris apologized, watching his friend with a knowing expression. "Teleportation can be pretty rough if you're not used to it. I puked the first time Arch did that with me."

"Thanks for warning me," Ken growled, glaring daggers at his friend as his stomach continued to rebel against him.

"Sorry," Chris repeated sheepishly as he knew all too well how miserable his friend was at the moment. "Well, you might as well get used to it now, right? Someday, you might want to Teleport on your own!"

"For the last time, I can't-urf!" Chris quickly averted his gaze as what was inside Ken's stomach decided to come outside. "I hate you!" Ken spat, before his stomach continued to empty itself.

"I'm really _really_ sorry Ken!" Chris offered, receiving only a groan from the queasy Mew hybrid. "I figured that you would be able to handle it, being a Psychic type and all. Pokémon seem to be able to handle Teleportation better than humans-not that I'm saying you're a Pokémon or anything! I just thought you'd have some sort of resistance to Psychic energy. I guess not."

Chris winced as Ken sent him another "I hate you" glare, hoping that the Mew hybrid would forgive him.

"So, where are we now?" Ken asked once his stomach had settled, casting a glare at Chris who looked very apologetic.

"Somewhere in Mt. Moon," Chris replied shuffling through the contents of his cluttered backpack in hopes of finding a map.

"So, you're telling me, I get lost, I lose my lunch, and then I get lost _again_?" Ken growled, right ear beginning to twitch uncontrollably, an action that Chris took to mean that the Mew hybrid was about ready to lose it.

"Ummm…. I guess?" Chris laughed nervously, hoping that Ken would be able to handle this most recent development.

Kens right eye twitched once, his ears lay flat against his skull, and, like any teen who had just reached their breaking point, he exploded. "I HATE THIS CAVE!"

"Um, Ken? The exits right over there."

Ken froze and looked over at Sora, who was now pointing a paw in the direction of an opening not even three feet from them. "Oh."

The group quickly made their way towards the exit, unaware that they were being watched.

"Come back Mew! Zoey wants to play with you!" the little Pokémon giggled, following in the direction where Ken and the others had gone, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Authors notes: Sorry if it feels like I'm being overly cruel to Ken, but the fact that you can just take on a criminal organization like Team Rocket single-handed, and ALWAYS win, doesn't seem very realistic. I hope to present the moves more realistically too. I mean come on, you're warped from one point, materialized in a completely different location, and _nothing _bad ever happens? No, "oops that didn't work quite right"? So yeah, trying to present the Pokémon world a little more realistically, please don't hate me! XD

Anyway, I plan on closing my poll on whether Chumly should make an appearance soon. Expect the poll to end sometime next week, so please cast your vote if you haven't already! :)

Thanks for reading everybody and have a nice day! :)


	19. Chapter 18: If You Play Now

Chapter 18: If You Play Now You'll Be An All Star, Ok?

As the group headed outside into the sunshine, momentarily blinded by the intense light in comparison to that of the dimly lit cave, Ken could have jumped for joy.

"I am never going inside a cave again," he grumbled, tail twitching.

"Oh, come on Ken! It wasn't _that _bad!" Sora insisted, following along beside Jerry.

"That's easy for you to say!" Ken growled. "You didn't end up tossing your cookies!"

"There are _cookies_?" Sora asked, eyes lighting up.

"No! I mean I lost my lunch!" Ken groaned, trying to be patient.

"But Ken, it was all over the cave floor back there," Sora pointed out with a bewildered expression. "And I don't think you want it back."

Kens ears twitched and he let out a noise sounding very much like a hiss. "I puked, ok?"

"Well, yeah, I knew that!" Sora replied with an annoyed snort. "What I want to know is _where the cookies are_!"

"Just kill me now," Ken moaned, burying his face in his hands.

Chris tried and failed to hold back laughter as the group headed towards Cerulean City. Kens Pokémon were…unique to say the least, and while they appeared to drive their Trainer nuts, Chris was pretty sure that Ken wouldn't have it any other way.

"For the last time Sora THERE ARE NO COOKIES!"

Maybe.

Back in Mt. Moon, the Team Rocket Supervisor was none too pleased. He'd lost the fossil, let the Mew Boy get away, and efforts to find anything but Dome and Helix fossils had proved fruitless.

"Sir we need to dig deeper!" a Team Rocket Grunt called out, cursing as the tip of his shovel broke off.

Yes, they needed to dig deeper, of course they did! The problem was that they lacked the proper equipment to break through the thick lair of rock. Yes, they'd need some way to dig through the…The man smiled. It was a cruel and wicked smile, the smile of someone who has just figured out the means to bring about something terrible.

"Keep trying!" he shouted to his underlings, who grumbled in protest. "I'm going to Cerulean City. There is a certain item I'd like to "acquire." When I get back, there had better have been progress!"

"Yes sir!" the Rockets replied, standing and saluting their superior.

The Rocket chuckled. "Good. Now keep digging!"

Heading into Cerulean City, Ken, Chris, and their Pokémon immediately headed into the Pokémon Center, eager to take the time to relax for a bit. As they entered the double doors, Ken glanced at the clock on the wall; 2:25. Sighing, he made his way over to the front desk.

"Hi, could you heal my Pokémon please?" he asked, pulling out Shade's Pokeball.

"Um…of course!" Nurse Joy replied, sounding somewhat uncertain. "I'd be happy to heal your Pokémon! And your Bulbasaur too?'

"Yes please," Ken nodded, pulling out Sora's Pokeball and attempting to recall her, only to have her dodge the red beam of light. "Come on Sora, you need to rest!" he sighed, trying and failing once again to return her to the Pokeball.

"So? I don't see you going in one of those things!" she retorted.

"That's because I'M NOT A POKEMON!" Ken growled, making a grab for her, only to have her jump on his head.

"Its fine," Nurse Joy laughed. "Just hand her to me, and we'll get her all fixed up for you in no time!"

"Thank you Nurse Joy," Ken smiled, handing a grumpy looking Sora to the pink haired woman. "By the way, I know it's a bit early, but you wouldn't happen to have a couple of spare rooms would you? I think we're gonna need them after a day like this," he chuckled, recalling everything that he and his companions had been through that day. Not far away, Jerry the Cyndaquil had already drifted off and was now snoring softly.

"Yes, she is a stubborn one, isn't she?" Nurse Joy laughed, patting Sora on the head. "You and your Pokémon seem pretty tired out. If you need a room for tonight, just let me know!"

Ken blinked, and Chris walked over to his side. "That would be wonderful Nurse Joy. Two rooms, if their available."

"Of course, and why don't I take a look at your Pokémon too?"

Chris nodded and returned Chris and Arch to their Pokeballs, handing them to Nurse Joy along with Kyo's. "Thank you Nurse Joy."

She nodded and took the Pokémon to the back, leaving Ken confused as to what had just happened.

"Not so good at keeping your languages strait, huh Ken?" Chris asked, turning to his friend with a grin. "You do know that she was just guessing at what you were saying, right?"

Ken blinked. He hadn't even noticed that he hadn't been speaking English. _This is getting a little out of hand_, he thought to himself with a sigh. _What if it gets to the point where nobody can understand me?_

"Hey cheer up Ken, there's no way it's going to go that far. Besides, if it does I can act as your own personal translator."

Ken smiled and nodded, doing his best to push the thought to the back of his mind. As long as Chris could understand him, things would be ok.

Nurse Joy came back a few minutes later, a tray of Pokeballs and a revitalized looking Sora in her arms.

"Thank Mew Nurse Joy," Ken said, gratefully taking Shade's Pokeball and Sora from her. She looked surprised that he had spoken English, but smiled and nodded before allowing Chris to reclaim his Pokémon as well.

"I'll be happy to show you to your rooms whenever you'd like. In the mean time, if there's anything else you need don't hesitate to ask! In English, if you don't mind," she added, glancing at Ken, who blushed and nodded.

"So, you keep Sora out of her Pokeball all the time?" Chris asked, as Sora climbed onto Kens shoulder and made herself comfortable.

"Yeah," Ken replied with a nod. "Is that weird?"

"No, not really," Chris replied with a shrug. "Lots of people do it. In fact, I heard from Professor Elm that it's a common practice over in Johto." Chris looked thoughtful for a minute. "Maybe I should start doing that with my Pokémon. I used to let them all stay out of their Pokeballs with me on a regular basis, but it's harder to do that when you're traveling all the time, you know?"

Ken nodded. He couldn't imagine having six Pokémon following him outside their Pokeballs all the time, especially when they evolved and got bigger. Frowning, he wondered what he was going to when Sora evolved. An image of Sora as a Venusaur attempting to jump onto his shoulder, only to flatten him, popped into his head.

"I'm sure they'll be fine as long as you let them out regularly," Ken assured his friend with a smile.

Suddenly shouts could be heard coming from outside.

"It's a Clefairy!"

"Wow! You hardly ever see those outside Mt. Moon!"

"Oh my gosh! It's absolutely _adorable_!"

"I've gotta catch it!"

"No, I'm catching it!"

"Back off! I saw it first!"

Ken and Chris hurried outside where three Trainers had cornered a rather frightened looking Clefairy, and were all attempting to engage it in battle at once. The Clefairy backed up a ways before it spotted Ken and began to jump up and down excitedly.

"Zoey found you! Zoey found you!" she squealed, rushing over to Ken's side and jumping into his arms. She wrapped him in a tight hug, never letting go, even as Ken's body began to glow and he quickly morphed into a Clefairy. In fact, once he was done, she took his hands and began swinging him around, laughing joyously.

The three Trainers stared at the scene, completely confused as to what had just happened.

"Is that…um, his Clefairy?" one of them finally asked, tilting her head to the side in obvious bewilderment.

"Uh…yep!" Chris quickly responded, hoping to get them away from his newly Transformed friend. "Nothing to see here! Just a Trainer and his Pokémon, um…bonding!"

The Trainers blinked, then slowly walked away as if in search of some sanity.

Chris sighed and looked over at Ken and the Clefairy, who was now hugging him again as he struggled franticly to get free of her grasp.

"Ok! Ok! Now Mew will play with Zoey!" she giggled, squeezing Ken so tight he felt as though he couldn't breathe.

"Let…go…" Ken wheezed, struggling for air.

"Oops! Sorry Mew!" the Clefairy gasped, quickly letting go of him. "Zoey didn't mean to make you turn blue! Shiny Mew are blue, but you aren't a Shiny!"

"Your name is…Zoey?" Ken asked, trying to make sense of what the Clefairy was babbling on about.

"Yes! Zoey's name is Zoey!" she laughed, taking Ken by the arm and pulling on him. "Mew will play with Zoey now! Let's go!" She gave his arm another painful yank before Ken pulled away, irritated and more than a little confused.

"Can you please explain to Ken what you want?" Ken growled, holding his temples as his head began to pound. He blinked and glanced over at the Clefairy, who was smiling at him innocently. "Why is Ken talking like this?"

"Its how Clefairys talk, silly!" Zoey laughed, prancing over to him. "Now, come on! Let's go play!" She attempted to grab hold of Kens arm, but he pulled away.

"So you're saying that all Clefairy speak in third person?" Ken asked, eyeing the fairy Pokémon cautiously.

"Zoey doesn't know what that means."

"That. That right there was third person!" Ken growled, quickly losing his patience.

"Oh. Then yes!" Zoey screamed, far more shrilly than Ken's sensitive Clefairy ears would have liked. Zoey eyed Ken thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "You know, for a Mew you're not very playful. Zoey will help!"

She then proceeded to take Kens hands and spin him around until he wondered if he was about to lose his lunch for the second time that day. She finally let him go, looking confused when he fell to the ground, feeling very dizzy. Slowly, she walked over to Ken and cautiously poked him, receiving a groan in response.

"Ken are you alright?" Sora asked, concerned.

"Did Zoey spin him too much?" the Clefairy asked nervously, a puzzled look on her face.

"Chris, tell that Clefairy to leave Ken alone. All three of em…" Ken muttered.

As Chris and Sora attempted to tend to a very dizzy Mew hybrid, Zoey walked over to Kens backpack and began fiddling with it. Eventually, she managed to get it open, and began flinging its contents all over the place.

"Boring! Boring! Oooh, yummy berries!" she giggled, tossing things out of the bag before beginning to chow down on Ken's stash of Lum berries.

Ken blinked as he heard this, quickly pulling himself into a sitting position. "Hey! Those are Ken's berries!" he cried, rushing over and grabbing for the bag, only to have Zoey jump just out of his reach.

The Clefairy giggled at his failure, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Zoey will give them back if Mew promises to play with Zoey." Ken concentrated and shifted back to his normal form, trying and failing once more to grab the bag of berries. "Better make up your mind or Zoey will eat them!" she sang, popping a berry into her mouth and grinning at him.

Ken sighed, knowing that Lum berries were rare and he wasn't likely to see too many more of them. "Fine, Ken will-I mean, I'll play with you." Ken grumbled, crossing his arms. "Can I have my berries back now?"

"Sure!" Zoey laughed, tossing the bag to him. "Just remember that you have to play with Zoey. You _promised_." She stared at Ken, eyes swirling with intensity, as if daring him to break his promise.

"Ok! Ok! I'll play with you!" Ken assured her, causing her to smile joyfully at him. Ken sighed. She was annoying, but was probably just lonely. He managed a small smile. _How bad could playing with a Clefairy possibly be? _

Authors notes: Hey everybody! Welcome to the Pokémon request corner! As you may, or may not know, I'm accepting requests for Pokémon for Ken's team and would love to hear your ideas! ^_^

Flashtheriolu requested that Ken have a female Clefairy named Zoey.

Thank you for the suggestion and I hope you continue to enjoy New Species! :) Zoey has a major roll next chapter! *evil laugh*

Ken: Why do I get the feeling I'm not gonna like this?

Me: Oh come on, Ken! How bad could playing with a Clefairy _possibly_ be? *snickers*

Ken: *eyes author warily*

Me: Don't worry Ken! You actually have fun for a change! XD

Ken: Then why are you laughing?

Me: *looks super innocent* No reason! XD

Anyway, I hope you'll take the time to review, and that you'll look forward to next chapter! It'll be…interesting to say the least. XD

See ya!

PS: In case anyone's wondering, Clefairy really DO speak in third person in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, so I ran with it! ^_^


	20. 19: I'm a Barbie Girl, In a Barbie World

Chapter 19: I'm a Barbie Girl, In a Barbie World

The Clefairy began to dance around Ken playfully, her bubbly laughter making her joy crystal clear. "Mew will play with Zoey! Mew will play with Zoey!" she sang, much to Ken's annoyance.

"Ok, first of all, my name is Ken and I'm not a-"

"Isn't Ken the name of a doll that humans play with?" Zoey asked, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Ken blushed. "Well yeah, but that's not why…" Ken began, trailing off as the Clefairy began to glow a bright pink and put one of her hands on his leg. He then noticed that he was also beginning to glow with a bright pink light, a strange feeling coming over him. "Zoey? What's going on? What are you doing?"

"Zoey is going to play with you Ken!" the Clefairy giggled, her eyes dancing with amusement.

"I know that," Ken growled, "but why-" Ken stopped as he found himself beginning to shrink, the world around him seeming to be growing at an alarming rate. Finally, the pink glow faded and he found the world towering above him.

"Awww, you're so cute!" Zoey gushed, picking ken up in one of her hands as he realized in horror that he was now doll sized compared to the Clefairy.

"Put me down!" Ken screamed, clapping a hand over his mouth as he heard his voice come out high pitched and squeaky, like when you play a recording at hyper speed.

"Don't worry, that will wear off eventually!" Zoey assured him with a giggle, clearly finding the whole thing hilarious.

"Eventually?" Ken squeaked. "What do you mean by-wah!" he cried out as Zoey began to toss him in the air and catch him over and over again. "Chris! Do something!"

"Sorry Ken, I've never seen a Minimize attack used like this before," Chris replied, trying very hard not to laugh.

"Minimize? What's that?" Ken asked, trying to ignore the fact that he was being tossed in the air like a rag doll.

"Well, it's supposed to shrink the user, but I guess she shrunk you instead," Chris replied, covering him mouth as his laughter began to fight its way to the surface.

"Why are you laughing? This is serious Chris!" Ken shouted, as Zoey began to throw him higher and higher into the air.

"I'm sorry Ken!" Chris laughed. "Its just you sound _so _funny! It's like you're gonna start singing that Alvin and the Chipmunks song any minute!"

"Glad you find this amusing," Ken growled, as Zoey once again tossed him in the air and caught him seconds later.

"Let's play a game Ken!" Zoey laughed holding the Minimized teen firmly by the waist. "You're a pirate-ninja-secret agent and you're just coming home from work!"

"What? That makes NO SENCE! Put me down now!" Ken cried, beginning to squirm.

Zoey glared at him and brought him up to eye level. "You promised you'd play with Zoey!" she reminded him, looking downright scary. "You _promised_!"

Ken gulped. As small as he now was, Zoey appeared to be very big and surprisingly intimidating. "Sure," he squeaked, hoping that the angry Clefairy wouldn't squash him flat right then and there.

"Great!" she exclaimed, her anger instantly dissolving. "Now as Zoey was saying, you're a pirate-ninja-secret agent and you're just coming home from work!"

"Uh-huh," Ken grumbled, wanting to get back to looking and sounding normal as soon as possible. He didn't even bother asking what kind of job a pirate-ninja-secret agent _had _anyway.

"Great! So, Ken was flying home from work-"

"What? Why am I flying?" Ken demanded, as she began to move him through the air, like a kid with a Super Man toy. Ken could only hope that Zoey had read the "toy can not actually fly" label.

"Because you're a Mew silly!" she giggled, then returned to her narration. "Ken was flying home from work, happy to have defeated all the vampires-"

"Since when are their vampires?" Ken demanded, more than a little confused.

"Its Zoey's story!" the Clefairy pouted. "You promised you'd play with Zoey!"

"Fine! Fine! I defeated all the vampires!" Ken sighed, reminding himself that little kids stories rarely made sense. "Now what happens?"

"After flying across the City of Townsville at super speed, Ken finally came to his house where he was greeted by his darling wife, Barbie!"

"That's a stick."

Zoey glared at him. "No it isn't, it's your darling wife Barbie!"

"Fine," Ken sighed, not bothering to argue.

Zoey frowned. "You don't seem happy to see me," she said in what was apparently supposed to be Barbie's voice.

Ken sighed, deciding he had better play along. "Of course I'm happy to see you…er…sweetie. I love you!"

Zoey smiled happily. "Good, now kiss me!"

"Zoey I am not kissing that stick!"

Before he had time to protest any further, Zoey had already shoved the stick at him, which was practically as big as he was, and was attempting to make him kiss it.

"Come on Ken!" Zoey-Barbie laughed. "Kiss me!"

"Zoey for the last time, I am not-" But his sentence was cut short as he was forced into kissing the stick as Zoey pressed it up against him. He could hear Sora and Chris laughing and felt as if he was going to die of embarrassment.

"I love you too Ken!" Zoey-Barbie sang, finally moving away from him. "Now, let's go inside and have dinner. I made your favorite! Lum berry pancakes!"

Ken blinked in surprise and looked over at the stick. In that instant Barbie was no longer a stick, but a beautiful blond haired woman, smiling warmly at him.

"Really? Oh Barbie, you really know how to treat a guy!" Ken gushed, forgetting entirely that he was talking to a stick. He shook his head and stared at "Barbie," hoping his friends wouldn't notice his momentary lapse in logic.

"So, Ken and Barbie headed inside and had a wonderful meal of Lum berry pancakes!" Zoey narrated. "After dinner-"

"What? You mean we don't even get to go into the pancake part?" Ken complained, crossing his arms.

"Zoey doesn't know how to make pancakes, and Ken won't let Zoey use his Lum berries!" Zoey explained almost sadly.

Ken sighed, feeling strangely disappointed. "Fine. What happens after dinner?"

"After dinner, Ken's evil twin brother attacked!" Zoey exclaimed dramatically, holding up another stick and shoving it into the ground so that it could stand in front of Ken.

"You have got to be kidding! I don't even have a brother!"

"Oh really?"

Ken turned towards the sound of the voice, where another Mew hybrid stood, grinning evilly at him. He would have looked identical to Ken, if it weren't for the blue hair and creepy bluish skin tone.

Ken stumbled backwards in surprise. "Who-who are you?"

The hybrid began to chuckle, sending a chill down Kens spine. "Don't you even recognize your own brother? I'm surprised at you Ken."

Suddenly, Ken recognized the figure, as if someone were telling him exactly who he was, their history, everything. It was as if someone was narrating his life…

"Ben! I should have known that the killing curse wouldn't have worked on you! You're rotten to the core! Just like Uncle He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named!"

The Mew hybrid snickered. "At least I have the guts to call him by name! You're weak Ken! The fact that you found the Lost City of Atlantis means nothing! Not even your light saber can save you now!"

"You should have never gone to the dark side Ben!" Ken growled, tail lashing back and forth angrily.

"Enough talk! I was always the one meant to be with Barbie! Not you!" Ben growled, pointing towards the blond woman who now cowered behind Ken.

"Barbie, take the Batmobile! I'll follow you as soon as I can!"

"Of course darling!" Barbie assured him, pausing just long enough to kiss Ken on the cheek and whisper something in his ear. "Remember, you're vulnerable to kryptonite!"

"I know sweetie. Don't worry, the last of it was destroyed when I took my rightful place as king of the pride lands. Now go!"

Barbie nodded and got into the Batmobile, speeding off into the night. Ken shook his head, knowing that he should have finished this a long time ago.

"Time to fight Ken!" Ben growled, charging at his brother.

Ken launched several punches at the evil hybrid, but Ben dodged every blow, eventually tripping Ken and sending him skidding across the floor. Ken tried his heat vision, only to have Ben bounce it back with the Reversing Mirror. It was then child's play to immobilize Ken with the Tangle Web Comb.

Ben laughed evilly, preparing to use the Tetsuaiga to produce the Windscar and deliver the final blow.

"Not so fast! I played a trap! Disarmament!" Ken triumphantly declared, holding out his hand as a card with the word "Disarmament" flipped up from the floor. "This destroys all equip spell cards on the field!"

"Noooo!" Ben wailed, as all of his weapons burst into shards of glass and were destroyed. He eyed Ken with an annoyed expression, then smiled. "You're better than I thought Ken. But still not good enough!" He began to glow with a dark light as data began to flow into him and he began to spin around. "Ben! Dark Digivolve too…BlackwarBenmon!" Ben reappeared, glowing with an evil aura, now with black body armor, and more than twice his original size.

Ken took a step backwards in shock and horror. "You Digivolved to Mega without a partner! That's impossible!" He shivered as the sky grew dark and the air suddenly grew cold. Black orbs danced around his brother like evil fireflies, a sign of his corruption.

"This is just like what happened in _Digimon the Movie_," a black haired Goth next to Ken stated, watching the scene in fascination.

"Really?" Ken asked. "What happened?"

"Well, it was originally three separate movies in Japan, but Fox decided to smash them all together for the dubbed version, and-"

"In the movie, Merton," Ken sighed. "What happened in the _movie_?"

"Oh. Well, Patamon and Gatomon released the Golden Digieggs so Terriermon and Veemon could Golden Armor Digivolve, and then they destroyed Cherubimon by blasting him from inside."

"Awesome!"

"Yeah, the only problem is we don't have any way to release the Golden Digieggs," Merton pointed out, rubbing the back of his head.

"Aw crap!" Ken cried out, just barely dodging BlackwarBenmon's Tera Destroyer. Suddenly his eyes widened as a brilliant plan hit him. "I know! I'll just go Supersaiyan and kick this guys-"

"Assuming that you can even do that, are you sure that he won't just reconfigure himself Mya?" Shichimi asked.

"In a good way," Motzu added.

Ken looked at the cat and frog next to him and sighed. "I don't know, but it's worth a try."

Ken focused all of his power, screaming for some reason, as that was apparently necessary. Instantly his body was surrounded by a bright golden glow and his hair turned from pink to blond, glowing with a similar golden light. With his newly found power, he blasted BlackwarBenmon, who stared at his brother in disbelief.

"That power! IT'S OVER 9000!" Ben screamed as he was broken up into data and deleted.

Ken was relieved to see Barbie swing over on one of her webs, thankful that she had managed to stop the Green Goblin and was all right.

"Ken! I'm so happy that you're all right!" Barbie cried, running into his arms as he returned to normal. "I thought Ben killed you!"

Ken shook his head and pulled the girl of his dreams close to him, running his fingers through her hair. "He can't beat me that easily. I'm The One, remember? Oracle said so!"

"I know," Barbie laughed. "But I still worry!"

"Hello, Mr. Anderson."

Ken and Barbie turned in the direction of the voice, then wished they hadn't.

"Davy Jones!" Ken growled, tail lashing back and forth angrily. "I told you already, you can have the Black Pearl, but I'm not coming on your ship!"

"This is about more than that," Davy Jones replied coldly. "I…am your father!"

"Noooo!" Ken cried out in horror and disbelief.

"Come my son! Join the dark side!" Davy Jones laughed, drawing a light saber.

"A light saber, huh? Well, guess what I've got?" Ken taunted, holding up a large glass jar. "I've got a jar of dirt! I've got a jar of dirt! I've got a jar of dirt, and guess what's inside it? I've got a jar of dirt! I've got a jar of dirt! I've got a jar of dirt, and guess what's inside it? I've got a jar of dirt! I've got a jar of dirt! I've got a jar of dirt, and guess what's inside it?"

"ENOUGH!" Davy Jones shouted, causing Ken to drop the jar in surprise.

"Where is the thump-thump?" Ken asked no one in particular, searching franticly for his only means of defense.

"Foolish boy! Prepare for the end!" Davy Jones cried out in triumph, charging at Ken, light saber aglow.

"I'm goin' ghost!" Ken shouted, as a glow surrounded his body and he reappeared with white hair, green eyes, and an entirely different outfit. He easily phased through the light saber, quickly located the jar he had dropped, and opened it, causing a beam of energy to shoot out.

"Nooooo!" Davy Jones wailed as he was sucked inside the jar. Ken quickly put the lid back on and grinned.

"Nice try, but my father is a Mew. _Everybody_ knows that!" Ken laughed, hoping that Davy Jones had fun back in the ghost dimension.

Chris and Sora watched Ken hug the stick and swing it around with confused expressions.

"Umm…do you think we should snap him out of it?" Chris asked, rather concerned.

"Are you kidding?" Sora laughed. "I've never seen Ken this happy! Let him have some fun for a change!"

"And then Kenny Chan had to face the evil Shadow Kahn to protect the Talisman, so he used his skills at martial arts!" Zoey narrated gleefully.

Chris watched Ken deliver several kicks and punches to some nearby dandelions and sighed. Apparently his friend was having the time of his life. It would be rude to bring him back to reality just yet.

Author's notes: Man was this chapter fun to write! XD

Now I'm sure many of you are wondering "What the heck happened to Ken?" Well, as I'm sure you've figured out, most of the events that occurred in this chapter happened in Kens head, thus existed in his mind only and weren't real. So basically, this was more of a "just for fun" chapter, although I may have gone a little overboard with the TV show and movie references. XD

If anyone managed to catch all the references made in this chapter, I'll be surprised. XD

Anyway, this chapter is loosely based on an old episode of _Dexter's Laboratory_. For those of you who've seen it, Dexter's computer offers a good explanation of why Ken went nuts. For those who haven't, don't worry, I'll explain next chapter. :)

Anyway, feel free to review, and let me know what you think! :)


	21. 20: Zoey Come Back! Zoey Come Back to Me

Chapter 20: Zoey Come Back! Zoey Come Back To Me!

After awhile of playing with Ken, Zoey finally managed to tire herself out and fell asleep, hugging her new "doll" close to her. The Mew hybrid in question was currently snoring away, oblivious to the world around him.

"Well Ken," Chris said with a sigh as he picked the two up, "I sure hope you had fun."

"Sure looks like he did to me," Sora chuckled, climbing onto one of Chris's shoulders. She glanced down at the tiny form in the Clefairy's arms. "How long is he gonna stay small like that?"

"I don't know," Chris replied, a frown on his face. "Normally, the Pokémon that used Minimize would have to reverse it, but Zoey is the one who used the move, not Ken."

"You mean he might be stuck that way until Zoey decides to change him back?" Sora asked, eyes widening.

Chris shrugged. "Could be. There's also the possibility that it will simply wear off on its own after awhile, but we have no idea how long that could take."

"One more thing…" Ken mumbled, shifting slightly in Zoey's arms.

Chris laughed and shook his head. It was hard to take the situation seriously when Ken still sounded like one of the Chipmunks. He headed off towards the Pokémon Center, hoping that Nurse Joy would know what to do.

"I'll be honest, I've never seen anything like this before," Nurse Joy admitted, staring at the tiny Mew hybrid in confusion. "Minimize is supposed to shrink the _user_. Not the opponent. I've never heard of it being used like this before, so I really don't have any idea what kinds of effects this might have on your friend."

"Ken was acting pretty weird earlier," Chris acknowledged, glancing at Ken's sleeping form. "Kinda out of it, you know what I mean?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "That's a side effect of Minimize. A loss of size results in a loss of perspective. The user may lose touch with reality. Don't worry that's normal, at least until the Pokémon gets used to using the move. I don't think it's anything we need to worry about."

"One _more _thing…" Ken yawned, stretching before drifting off again.

"Don't worry, the high pitched voice is normal too," Nurse Joy laughed, noticing Chris's expression. "When the body shrinks, so do the vocal chords. That should go away after Ken returns to his normal size, although sometimes it does tend to linger for a short period of time."

"Well, how do we get Ken back to his normal size?" Chris asked, looking at Nurse Joy hopefully.

"I'm sorry, I don't know," Nurse Joy admitted, shaking her head sadly. "My best guess would be to either have the Clefairy try to reverse it, or wait and see if it wears off on its own."

"Oh. Well, thanks anyway Nurse Joy," Chris sighed, carefully picking up the Mew hybrid. "I guess we'll just have to wait until they wake up."

Taking Zoey in his arms, who made a grab for her "doll" in her sleep, Chris followed after Nurse Joy as she showed them to their rooms, hoping that Ken would be back to his old self soon.

About hour later, Chris was pacing around his room restlessly, unsure of what he was supposed to do. Ken was teensy, and there was no _way_ that they were going to be able to continue their journey with him like that. Sighing, he headed over to the fridge to grab a can of soda, hoping that it would calm his nerves.

_This is no problem_, he thought to himself, trying to approach the problem logically. _As soon as Zoey wakes up, I'll just have her return Ken to his normal size. Yeah, as long as we have Zoey_- Chris turned to the bed where he had placed Ken and Zoey earlier so that they could get some sleep, performing the most perfect spit take anyone was likely to see.

The Clefairy was gone and the window stood wide open, the curtains flapping in the breeze.

Authors notes: First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing New Species, and I have an exciting announcement: we've reached the 100+ review mark! Yaaaayyyyy! *pulls string and balloons and confetti fall from the ceiling*

Chris: Um…don't you think you're being a little too dramatic?

Me: Nope!

Anyway, as a special thank you to all my readers, I'm posting chapter 1 of Music Box, which is a prequel to New Species, and shows how Mew and Rika met and the events which would later lead to Ken's birth. So, if you've been wondering just WHAT was going through Mews head at the time, or if you're a fan of New Species, I highly recommend you check it out! ^_^


	22. 21: Bicyle, Somebody Killed My Bicycle

Authors Notes: Ok, so last chapter was super short _and _a cliff hanger, so I decided to go ahead and post chapter 21. :) Enjoy!

Chapter 21: Bicycle, Bicycle, Somebody Killed My Bicycle

"Ken wake up!" Chris shouted, gently shaking the sleeping Mew hybrid.

"Uhhh…what?" Ken growled, covering his ears. "Do you have to be so loud?"

"Ken, Zoey's gone!" Chris explained, trying to get his friend to realize the gravity of the situation.

"So?" Ken grumbled, turning to Chris with an angry scowl on his face. "Its not like she was-oh crap!" Ken's eyes widened as he saw just how much bigger Chris was than him.

"Yes! Definitely oh crap!" Chris agreed, thankful that Ken was finally getting it. "Nurse Joy doesn't know how to change you back, and that Clefairy might be our only hope of ever returning you to normal size!"

"Well what are we waiting for then?" Ken cried, eyes practically popping out of his head. "Let's go find her!"

"Ken wait-"

"Ahhh!"

Ken sighed in relief as Chris caught him. He had tried to walk off of the bed, forgetting how small he was and how far away the floor was for someone his size.

Chris shook his head at the tiny Mew hybrid he now held in his hands. "Maybe I should carry you Ken. Knowing your luck, somebody's bound to step on you. Besides, we could find Zoey faster that way."

Ken's ears twitched angrily and his tail began to lash back and forth. However, he knew that Chris was right, so he reluctantly nodded and allowed himself to be placed on one of the Rigigigas hybrids massive shoulders.

"It's not that bad Ken!" Sora giggled from Chris's other shoulder. "Now we can be shoulder buddies!"

Ken hung his head in embarrassment as he realized that Sora was now bigger than him. _This is not my day!_ he thought to himself as the trio headed out, hoping to find a solution to his "little problem."

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, it wasn't long before they heard a shout coming from the nearby bike shop.

"MY BIKE!"

"Oh, please tell me Zoey isn't involved," Ken sighed, knowing that the Clefairy could be a real troublemaker when she wanted to.

The group quickly headed into the bike shop to find a furious looking girl with short red hair tied up in a short side ponytail. She wore a pair of overalls with red suspenders and a yellow t-shirt, and was screaming franticly about her bike. The bike in question, or what was left of it, was currently lying on the floor, completely blackened and letting off a few sparks, as if hit by some sort of electric attack. Staring up at the girl, looking downright terrified, was a very familiar looking Clefairy.

_This is NOT good,_ Ken thought with a sigh, as Chris carefully approached the girl.

"Um, excuse-"

"What is it?" the red head snapped, eyes shining with fury. "Can't you see I'm in a crisis?"

"Crisis?" Chris, Ken, and Sora asked, looking very confused.

"Yes, a crisis!" she repeated, hands balled up into fists at her sides. "I saved up my money for a _whole year_ to by one of these bikes, and what happens? Some Clefairy destroys it before I can even take it out of the shop!"

Chris took a step backward in alarm. This girl was _scary_! "Um…I'm sorry?"

"Sorry? Why would you be…? Wait! Is this _your_ Clefairy? Cause if it is, you owe me a bike!" the girl snapped, taking a step towards Chris.

"No, she's not mine," Chris tried desperately to explain. "You see, a friend of mine-"

"Oh, so it's your _friends_ Clefairy? Do I really look that stupid?" she growled, moving even closer to Chris and proceeding to stare him down, which was quite strange to see as he was much taller than her. "Cause if you think I do, you've got another thing coming!"

"She's my Clefairy!" Ken cried from atop Chris's shoulder, catching the girl's attention.

She stared at the tiny form on top of the teens shoulder, at the pink hair, the twitching ears and tail, and the abnormally large feet, and did the only thing a sane person would do at a time like that: she fainted.

"You killed her!" Sora gasped, eyeing the girl who was now passed out on the floor in alarm.

"I did not!" Ken protested, ears twitching in exasperation. "She'll be fine! She's just…in shock."

"Speaking of "shock," what exactly did you do Zoey?" Chris asked, glancing at the charbroiled bike.

"Nothing," Zoey whimpered, scampering over to Chris and clinging desperately to his leg. "Zoey just decided it would be fun to try out her Metronome attack, but then Zoey used Thunderbolt and the Wheel-Thingy esplodeded!"

"You mean, 'exploded'?" Chris asked, gently correcting the young Clefairy.

"That's what Zoey said! Esplodeded!"

Chris shook his head, knowing that he wasn't going to get through to the little Pokémon. "So, you blew up her bike?"

"Zoey didn't mean to!" Zoey insisted, waving her arms franticly. "It was an axident!"

"You mean an 'accident'?" Ken asked, oblivious to his friend's attempts to tell him that correcting the Fairy Pokémon would be futile.

"That's what Zoey said! An axident!"

"How do you "axidently" blow up someone's bike?" Ken growled, tail lashing back and forth.

"Take it easy Ken," Chris said gently, glancing over at the tiny Mew hybrid sitting on his shoulder. "Metronome is completely unpredictable. There's no way Zoey could have known what move it would call up."

Ken sighed. "Yeah, I guess your right-" _Wait a minute! How do I know what Metronome does? I've never even heard of it before! _Ken realized, heart beginning to beat faster. Trying to calm down, Ken decided to turn his attention on what to do about the girl who currently lay sprawled out on the floor, unconscious. _Of all the moves Metronome could have called, it had to be Thunderbolt,_ Ken thought to himself in amusement, his tail twitching merrily. _That's funny!_

Before he could stop himself, Ken was quickly caught up in a fit of high-pitched Mew laughter, sounding all the stranger due his recently Minimized vocal chords. Truthfully, it sounded more like a fit of squeaking than anything else. Clutching his sides as the laughter consumed him, Ken toppled over onto his back, unable to contain his amusement.

Chris blinked in confusion. "Ken, are you alright?"

"Thunderbolt! Of all the moves…could've…destroys a girls bike!" the Mew hybrid replied in between giggles, tears in his eyes.

"Ok…It's not _that_ funny," Chris muttered, more confused than before. It wasn't like Ken to find something like that funny.

"Are you _kidding?_ It's _hilarious_!" Ken squealed, laughing even harder. A couple seconds later, Ken began to glow a bright pink and began to grow larger. Chris quickly scooped the rapidly expanding Mew hybrid off his shoulder and carefully set him on the floor, where he grew back to his original size within moments. Afterwards he looked up at the Rigigigas hybrid, confusion showing in his bright blue eyes. "What's wrong with me Chris?"

"Nothing," Chris replied after a moment's hesitation. "It's just a side effect of Minimize, that's all. It's making you act weird." Chris smiled to reassure his friend, but deep down he had the sickening feeling that something else was going on. Something much, _much_ worse. As he stared at the now normal sized Mew hybrid, a thought adamantly forced itself to the front of his mind, and he shuttered.

Could it really be true that the human part of Ken was beginning to fade away?

Authors Notes: Ok… so that wasn't much longer. ^_^; Don't worry, things will pick up next chapter and things should start to get interesting! :) In the mean time, why not check out the prequel to New Species, Music Box?

Also, the poll on my profile has come to a close. Thank you very much to all who voted! :)

Happy Fourth of July weekend everybody! :)


	23. 22 Keep Your Money Just Give Me a Battle

Chapter 22: Keep Your Money, Just Give Me a Battle

As Ken stood in the bike shop, thankful to be back to his normal size, he quickly realized in dismay that he now had another problem on his hands.

"So…what are we going to do about her?" Ken asked, glancing at the red headed girl who had fallen unconscious a few minutes ago, and now lay sprawled out on the floor.

Chris shrugged. "I guess we try and take her home. You wouldn't happen to know where she lives, would you?" he asked, turning to the owner of the bike shop hopefully.

"Are you _kidding_?" the man asked, eyes practically popping out of his head. "Don't you two know who she _is_?"

Ken and Chris stared blankly at the man. "No," Chris admitted calmly. "Why should we?"

"Your _kidding_!" the man shouted, slapping the counter with his hand and looking completely baffled. "She's _Misty_! The Cerulean City Gym Leader!"

Kens eyes widened as he heard this, right ear beginning to twitch uncontrollably.

"HOLY CRAP! I KILLED MISTY!"

_Several minutes later…_

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…" Ken muttered, pacing back and forth, tail twitching nervously.

"Ken, relax!" Chris laughed. "If you keep this up, you're gonna wear a hole in the Pokémon Centers floor! Chill!"

"That's easy for you to say!" Ken retaliated. "You didn't kill Misty!"

"She's not dead Ken," Chris sighed, running a hand through his short black hair. "She just fainted is all. She'll be fine. Now please, will you stop pacing back and forth like that? You're making _me _nervous!"

Ken blushed slightly and came and sat down next to Chris, but still, his tail continued to twitch franticly, as if it had a mind of its own.

After what felt like an eternity, when in reality was only about ten minutes, a familiar looking girl exited the back of the Pokémon Center, looking more than a little confused, but otherwise fine.

"I DIDN'T KILL HER!" Ken cried out happily, jumping up from his seat and throwing his arms in the air.

Chris couldn't help but face palm at Ken's overly dramatic behavior. After all, she had fainted from shock; it wasn't like it was something serious.

"No, she's fine," Nurse Joy chuckled, coming out from the back of the Pokémon Center. "She was just a little shook up, that's all." With a smile Nurse Joy headed to the back room, followed by a giggling Chansey.

Seeing that Misty was all right, he quickly made his way over to her, bowing his head apologetically. "I'm really _really _sorry! Mew didn't mean to make you faint. Or kill your bike…" Ken added, as he glanced up to see Zoey, who was hiding in a corner of the Pokémon Center, looking very guilty.

"Its fine," Misty laughed, causing Ken to sigh in relief. "I meant about me fainting," she added, causing Ken to sigh for an entirely different reason. "I still expect you to make it up to me for wreaking my bike."

"How much Mew the bikes cost?" Ken asked reluctantly, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer. If even the _Gym Leader_ had to wait a whole _year_ to save up enough to buy one, what would that mean for a run-of-the-mill Trainer like himself?

"More than you have I bet!" Misty replied, smile on her face. She leaned forward and whispered something in Ken's ear, causing his eyes to widen. Misty laughed. "I thought so! Tell ya what, battle me at my Gym tomorrow, and we'll call it even!"

"What? Mew can't do that! I-"

"You're a Trainer aren't you?" Misty asked, crossing her arms.

"Well yeah, but-"

"And you have a Bulbasaur, right? Come on! It shouldn't be _that _difficult!"

"Well, I-"

"Then it's settled!" Misty proclaimed triumphantly. "Meet me at my Gym tomorrow, ten o' clock sharp!" And with that, she headed out of the Pokémon center, a big smile on her face.

Ken stood staring in the direction she had gone, looking completely helpless. "What did I get myself into?" Ken cried, tugging at his hair in frustration.

"Oh, come on Ken," Chris said reassuringly. "Sora is a grass type. I'm sure the two of you will do great!"

"Chris you don't understand! Sora and I have never battled before!"

"What are you talking about Ken?" Chris asked with a frown. "You fought that Team Rocket guy back at Mt. Moon!"

"That was the _first time_, unless you count some crazy Persian in Viridian Forrest," Ken explained, looking defeated. "And we lost _both times_."

"But you beat Brock right?"

Ken slowly shook his head. "I had to leave Pewter City to protect the stupid fossil. I never even _met _Brock."

Chris regarded his friend quietly for a moment, then said the two words Ken had not wanted to hear: "Your toast."

Ken had a great deal of difficulty falling asleep that night. Worry plagued his mind, not allowing him to get the rest his body so desperately needed.

Eventually, body won out over mind, and Ken drifted into a deep sleep…

The strange dreams returned yet again, more vivid and real than ever. Ken could actually _feel_ the wind blowing through his hair, could actually _taste_ the salty tang of the ocean spray as the waves beat against the shore of a pair of islands. Ken tilted his head to the side as he stared at the islands, a strange feeling of Déjà vu coming over him.

_Now, where have I seen them before?_ he wondered, tail twitching with curiosity.

_You haven't_, a voice from nearby explained, causing Ken to spin in the air once in surprise.

Regaining his sense of balance, Ken turned towards the voice, only to see the vague outline of a figure hovering next to him. Still, though Ken was unable to make out any physical characteristics of the figure, they appeared to be much clearer than before, their presence feeling extremely close. Too close for it to simply be part of a dream.

The figure chuckled at Ken's surprise, and though Ken couldn't see it, he could tell that the figure was most definitely smiling. _Really Ken, you should have been able to sense me coming, I've been watching you for awhile now you know, _he, as Ken was almost certain by now that the figure was male, chuckled and floated closer to Ken. _As I was saying, you've never seen the Seafoam Islands before, but I have. Ah yes, would have made quite the pleasant little hideaway. If it weren't already occupied of course. _

_Occupied? _Ken asked, tilting his head in confusion. _What do you mean "occupied?" _

The figure sighed, crossing his arms and looking out at the horizon towards the pair of islands. _As in the current resident didn't exactly welcome strangers. _

Ken followed the figures gaze, and was surprised to see something sparkle within the mouth of one of the island caves. Moments later, a large, shinning bird appeared at the entrance, and flew off towards the ocean, its beautiful blue tail trailing behind it like a ribbon caught in the wind.

_Articuno? _Ken asked in shock, eyeing the majestic creature as its feathers began to sparkle beautifully in the sunlight. _You're telling me that Articuno lives there?_

The figure nodded. _As you can see, me staying there was out of the question. _

_So…so you're a Pokémon? _Ken asked, surprised, although he knew that this shouldn't have come as a shock to him.

_Yes. And soon, you will accept the fact that you are a Pokémon as well. We're very similar, you and I. You should embrace it. You will have to sooner or later, after all. _

_I'M NOT A POKMON! _Ken screamed, balling his tiny paws up into fists and realizing for the first time that he was a Mew once again. _And stop making me look like one! Get out of my head!_

_Making you?_ the voice chuckled, clearly amused. _The form you are in now is but a representation of your true self, the part of you that you stubbornly attempt to suppress. This, put quite simply, is the real you Ken. _

_No it isn't! _Ken insisted, anger welling up inside of him. _I'm not a Pokémon! I'm a human being! Get out of my head! GET OUT!_

The figure sighed, sounding both irritated and disappointed. _Fine, continue to live in denial, you're only hurting yourself little Mew. But you will have to accept what you are sooner or later, and when you do, I'll be waiting for you Ken. _

With that, the figure vanished and Ken awoke with a start, body shaking with both fear and anger. Quickly glancing around the room, he saw that Sora, Shade, and Zoey were still asleep, curled up happily on the couch. He smiled slightly at this, thankful that he hadn't woken them. His mouth felt strangely dry, so he went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Taking a cup out of the cabinet, Ken nearly dropped it in shock as he noticed that the fur on his hands had spread since the day before, now coming up to his wrists. With a groan, Ken headed into the bathroom to see if anything else had changed, irritated at what was quickly becoming his morning routine.

Looking in the mirror, he noticed that there was something different about his eyes, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

_Are they bigger? _he wondered, carefully tracing the outline of one of his eyes with his finger. As he stared at them some more, he realized that that must be it. He'd always had large blue eyes, but today they seemed slightly larger than normal, and, if possible, a deeper, more brilliant shade of blue. _Oh well, if I can hardly tell, no one else is gonna notice,_ Ken assured himself, moving on to look for any other changes. Surprisingly, he found none. _That's weird, _Ken thought, pouring himself some water. _The way things have been going lately, I figured I'd wake up with paws or something. _

Tipping the glass of water to his lips, Ken quickly chugged the liquid, hoping to quench his thirst. Setting the cup down and wiping a few stray drops of water from his face, Ken realized that although he was no longer thirsty and his mouth was no longer dry, something was different. Feeling around the inside of his cheeks figuring he had a cold sore, and practically gagging at the presence of his furry fingers within his mouth, Ken discovered something he wished he hadn't; something that sent a chill down his spine.

Hoping against all odds that he was mistaken, Ken ran one of his fingers across the surface of his tongue a second time, only to come to the same conclusion. Some bristles had formed on his previously normal human tongue, causing the surface to become rough and scratchy, like sandpaper.

_Or like a cat's tongue, _Ken realized in dismay. He hadn't even known that Mews had tongues similar to that of other feline Pokémon like Meowth and Persian. "Well, apparently they do," Ken sighed, feeling rather embarrassed, but reminding himself that it could have been worse. He turned to head out of the bathroom when the full weight of this most recent change came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks.

He turned back to the mirror, carefully examining the bristles that now coated his tongue and began to tremble. The only reason a cat Pokémon _had _those bristles on their tongues was for one purpose, and one purpose only. You see, cats were known to be very clean creatures, and cat Pokémon were no exception. They regularly engaged in grooming, their tongues acting like built in combs. And if Mews had them then that meant…

"Oh man, if I start licking myself, just smack me."

Trying his best to relax, Ken headed out of the bathroom, remembering that he had more pressing matters to worry about than the possibility of beginning to lick himself like an animal: his battle with Misty.

_How in the world am I supposed to beat her? _Ken wondered, flopping onto his bed with a sigh. _She's an experienced Trainer and Sora just learned Vine Whip not that long ago! I haven't even beat Brock yet! _Ken paused, wondering why he was getting so worked up about it. Battling Gyms is what a Trainer DID after all! _Isn't this what I want? _he wondered, glancing over at his sleeping team. _Isn't this what I've been waiting for my entire life? _

Shaking his head, Ken did his best to rid his mind of doubt. After all, worrying about it certainly wasn't helping.

Walking over to his team and gently nudging them awake, Ken was met with a look of concern from Sora, a confused head tilt from Zoey, and the word "puberty" from Shade. Ignoring the fish's comment, Ken headed over to the cabinet and pulled out some cans of Pokémon food, as this particular Pokémon Center apparently didn't carry the berry-mix yet, and poured it into bowls for his Pokémon. Pausing to look at the label on one of the cans, Ken pondered whether or not he should give the kibble a shot, then shuddered as he remembered that he had eaten it before, and poured some into a bowl for himself.

Sitting down at the table, Ken let out a purr as the scent of the Pokémon Food reached his nostrils, still unable to believe that he actually _liked_ that sort of thing. Still, it just smelled _so_ good…

"Um, Ken?" Sora asked, looking up from her bowl with a frown on her face. "Are you feeling alright this morning?

"Yeah, why?" Ken asked, popping another piece of kibble into his mouth and delighting in the flavor.

"It's just your making a really funny noise, and I just wondered-"

"Funny noise? What are you talking about Sora?" Ken asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "I'm not making any-" He stopped as he realized what it was that had Sora so worried, and why all his Pokémon were beginning to give him funny looks. Throughout the time he had been eating he had been purring. Not just a quick purr, but a continuous, uninterrupted rhythm. Even now he could feel it reverberating within his vocal chords, steady as his own breathing. He had been enjoying his meal so much that he hadn't even noticed. Happy feeling gone, the sound ceased, and Ken glanced over at his Pokémon, all of them looking very worried.

"Ken sounds like a Meowth!" Zoey giggled, finally breaking the silence, much to Ken's embarrassment.

"I'm a Mew Zoey," Ken sighed, wondering how he was going to explain the situation to his Pokémon.

"Have you been changing again and not telling us?" Sora demanded, looking very cross. Her eyes shimmered, begging him to tell them the truth. "Come on, you can trust us Ken! We're your friends!"

Ken sighed, knowing that Sora was right, but unsure of how to explain it to them, then decided he had better just spit it out and get it over with, like pulling off a band-aid. "The fur is spreading, my eyes are changing, and oh yeah, my tongue has bristles like a cat Pokémon's! Are you happy now?" Ken growled, cheeks turning red.

Sora blinked, surprised that Ken hadn't needed more coaxing, but glad that he was actually talking about it. Slowly, she walked over to Ken and extended her vines, wrapping him tightly in a makeshift hug. Ken returned the kind gesture with a slight smile, thankful for her understanding. However, the tender moment didn't last long.

"Kitty cat! Ken's a kitty cat!" Zoey sang, dancing around the room, much to Ken's annoyance.

"Enough!" Shade growled, fixing the small Clefairy with a sharp glare. "You must respect Master Mew!"

The tiny Clefairy froze in her tracks, looking very apologetic and a little guilty. "Zoey is sorry," she muttered, scuffing her feet on the floor, eyes looking downward. "Zoey didn't mean to upset her new friends."

Shade turned to Ken, as if asking if the childish Pokémon would be forgiven.

"Its ok Zoey," Ken assured her, picking her up in his arms. "Just try to be a little more supportive ok? This is hard enough as it is." The little Clefairy nodded and hugged Ken tightly, a big smile on her face. Setting Zoey down, Ken returned to his breakfast, trying not to get _too excited_. It was just kibble, after all. _Must be a Pokémon thing,_ Ken decided as he looked over at his Pokémon, who appeared to be overjoyed. _What is it with Pokémon and food?_

After breakfast, Ken turned his attention to Misty, and how he was supposed to battle her on semi-equal footing. Sora would be a great choice, but he didn't think that using a Magikarp would be such a good idea, even if Shade _was_ a water type.

As if sensing his dilemma, Zoey ran up to Ken and said, "Ken can use Zoey against Wheel-Thingy Girl! Zoey will help!"

"Zoey," Ken sighed, hoping to explain why he couldn't use her without hurting her feelings. "I can't use you against Misty because you're not _my _Pokémon."

The little Clefairy's eyes filled with tears. "But you said Zoey was!" she wailed, burying her face in her hands as she began to cry. "You said so!"

Thinking back, Ken realized that he _had_ said that, but he only did so in order to defend Chris and Zoey. It hadn't been their fault, Chris had nothing to do with it and Zoey was young. She hadn't known any better!

Still, glancing at the now bawling Clefairy, Ken realized that she had taken him _literally_. He hadn't even known she could understand human speech, let alone comprehend what he was talking about!

"All right," Ken sighed, much to Zoeys delight, "you can help!"

"Yaaaayyyy!" Zoey squealed, skipping merrily around Ken, her eyes full of joy. "Zoey will help! Zoey will make it up to Ken for getting him in trouble! Zoey _promises_!"

Ken flinched as he heard her say this, recalling how seriously Zoey took promises, but did his best to shake it off. "All right, but let's make this official." Digging through his backpack, Ken pulled out a Pokeball and held it out to Zoey. "If you go inside, you won't just be able to battle Misty. You'll be able to come with me-"

"Yay! Zoey wants in the magic ball! Zoey wants in the magic ball!" she cried, making a grab for the red and white orb. "Zoey will get to play with Ken all the time and Ken and Zoey will have so much fun!"

Ken shivered at the thought of being Zoey's plaything again, but was surprised to find that it wasn't from fear; it was from excitement. Truthfully, deep down he couldn't wait to play with the Clefairy again. Gently setting the Pokeball down on the floor, he watched as the pink Pokémon tapped the object and was converted into energy, being drawn inside. There was no struggle, simply a 'ping' indicating that the Pokémon had been successfully captured.

Walking over to the Pokeball, Ken picked it up, returned Shade, and headed out the door to his room, feeling a little more confident now that he had added a third Pokémon to his party.

A few minutes later Ken and Chris stood outside the Cerulean City Pokémon Gym, the Mew hybrid clearly trying to work up the nerve to enter, his tail twitching in an extremely nervous manner.

"Relax Ken, you'll be fine," Chris assured his friend, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Ken, however, still wasn't convinced, but tried his best not to show it. "Well, I guess this is it," he sighed, then slowly pushed the door to the gym open.

Author's notes: To avoid confusion, this Misty is the game version of Misty, _not_ the same Misty who traveled with Ash, though she does act very similarly to her, which is intentional. New Species doesn't take place in the same universe as the anime, which will be important to remember later.

Well, I hope that everyone is enjoying this so far, and please don't forget to review! ^_^

Next chapter: Ken's gym battle with Misty! :)

Ken: I am _so _dead!

Me: Oh come on, Ken! You've got to believe in yourself! Just think of all you've accomplished so far!

Ken: …Yep. Dead.


	24. 23: Everybody Knows I'm In Over My Head

Chapter 23: Everybody Knows I'm in Over My Head

"THE CERULEAN CITY GYM IS A POOL?"

"Yes, that's correct," a man near the entrance acknowledged, as Ken stared wide-eyed at the enormous expanse of a pool that now stood before him.

Ken opened his mouth as if to speak, then promptly closed it. This wasn't what he had been expecting, not in the slightest.

The pool was huge, and quite impressive to say the least. Several Trainers in bathing suits were already in the pool, swimming, training their Water Pokémon, or just goofing off. The edge of the pool was littered with inner tubes and life jackets in a rainbow of colors, clearly for those who were less competent swimmers. An aquarium made up the walls of the gym, and several varieties of tropical fish could be seen swimming around.

"Here, these appear to be about your size," the man said, handing Ken a pair of swimming trunks.

"Say _what_? I'm not here Mew swim!" Ken growled, tossing them back to the man, tail twitching in irritation. "I'm just here to-"

"If you want to challenge Misty, you'll have to put them on," the man replied in a bored tone, tossing the swimming trunks back to Ken. "All battles at the Cerulean Gym are conducted _in the pool_, and only swim wear is allowed in the pool area."

Kens right ear twitched once and he stared at the man in disbelief. "You've got Mew be kidding! There is Mew way that I'm getting in that pool!"

"Unless I'm mistaken, Misty is expecting you, so you really don't have much of a choice. So, unless there are other teenage boys with Mew ears and a tail running around, I'd suggest you get changed and get in that pool!" the man replied with a mocking grin, motioning with his thumb towards a changing room towards Ken's right.

Ken let out a cross between a groan and a hiss, his tail lashing angrily, then reluctantly headed into the changing room, pausing long enough to catch the man's smug smirk.

Upon entering the changing room, he stared in dismay at the swimming trunks he'd been given. They were primarily hot pink in coloration, covered with bright green palm trees. _This has got to be somebody's twisted idea of a joke! _Ken thought to himself angrily, eyeing the item with displeasure. "Don't these come Mew any other color?" he called out hopefully.

"Sorry kid!" the man called back, his voice thick with laughter. "Only one per customer! On the plus side, they're yours to keep!"

_Great, just what I always wanted. An incredibly hideous pair of swimming trunks, _Ken thought to himself with a sigh. After reluctantly undressing, Ken stared at the ugly pair of swimming trunks in front of him and the long pink tail behind him, and groaned. "This isn't gonna work!" he cried out angrily in PokeSpeak. Of course to everyone else it merely sounded like a string of rather angry sounding "Mews".

Taking the item firmly, he proceeded to tug and pull at the fabric until a ripping sound reached his ears. Thanking whatever cheep company stitched the ugly thing together, Ken slipped the swimming trunks on, carefully threading his long pink tail through the newly made hole.

With a sigh, Ken made his way out of the changing room, hoping that things would go smoother from that point on, but not really expecting it to. As he came out into the pool area once again, he immediately found the man from before staring at him.

"Well…that's…interesting…" the man mumbled, staring at Ken with a rather bewildered expression.

Ken coiled his tail around himself instinctively, his cheeks turning red. With all the changes he'd been going through, the last thing he had wanted was for everybody to see him in nothing but a pair of swimming trunks.

Doing his best to ignore the man, Ken headed towards the pool, the white tile floor slightly damp beneath his bare feet. He looked out at the pool, then towards either side of the pool, wondering what exactly the man meant by all battles taking place _in the pool_. Chris was already making his way towards a set of bleachers off towards Kens left, giving his friend a nod of encouragement and a friendly thumbs up. Sora took one look at the pool, then quickly followed after Chris.

"So, are you going to get in or not?"

Ken nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the voice right behind him. Turning around, he saw the man watching him, an amused smile on his face.

"Well?" the man asked, arching an eyebrow. "Are you going to get in the pool or not? The water won't bite, you know."

Ken stared out at the pool, a nervous lump forming in the pit of his stomach. "I can't swim," he mumbled quietly, not meeting the man's gaze.

"Of course you can!" the man laughed, giving Ken a playful thump on the back, causing the hybrid to flinch in surprise. "Mews aren't like normal cat Pokémon, you know! They actually _like _water! Dive in!" And with that, he shoved Ken into the pool before he had any chance to react.

Seconds later Ken found himself underwater, panic gripping him. His first reaction was to struggle, but that was promptly pushed aside as if by some sort of invisible hand. His body began to move, seemingly of its own accord, and the panic within his heart quickly vanished. In seconds, Ken found himself swimming along the bottom of the pool, feeling strangely calm, as if he had done this a million times. Cautiously opening one eye, Ken was surprised to find that the water did not burn, as he had expected, and slowly opened the other eye.

What he saw was far from what he had expected; although his vision was a little blurry, Ken could make out startling details: the bottom of the pool, the forms of Trainers swimming nearby, a Seel retrieving a plastic ring from the bottom of the pool, to the obvious delight of its owner. As a Goldeen swam by, inches from him, Ken felt his heart race. There was something just _so familiar_ about it all…

_What is this I'm feeling?_ Ken wondered, as he continued to swim around the pool floor, delighting in the experience. _And how is it that I know how to swim? I've never swam before in my life! Maybe…uh…why am I here again?_ Ken tried his best to focus on the situation at hand, but found the task to be impossible. Instead, he entertained himself by swimming around the bottom of the pool, not a care in the world. _Fun! _Ken thought to himself merrily. _Lets swim, this is fun! _

Chris looked out at the pool, rather concerned that Ken hadn't surfaced yet, but since there hadn't been any floundering, as would usually indicate that someone was drowning, he could only assume that Ken was simply swimming beneath the surface. Squinting, he just managed to catch a glimpse of a pink tail breach the surface before disappearing once more.

"Ken?" Chris called out, just to be on safe side. "Ken, are you all right?" Chris tried again, keeping his eyes peeled for any further sight of the Mew hybrid, while still listening for any kind of response; there was none. Beginning to panic, Chris was about ready to dive in after Ken when a familiar head burst out of the water.

"Chris! Pools are awesome!" Ken cried out happily, before diving beneath the water once again.

With a relieved sigh, Chris sat down next to Sora, glad that Ken was safe. Still, Ken had been a bundle of nerves before they had entered the gym. What had changed? And why wasn't he challenging Misty yet?

A lump formed in the Rigigigas hybrids stomach as he began to wonder if Ken was exactly _Ken _at the moment.

Ken continued merrily along, doing several playful underwater back flips, wondering briefly why this felt so familiar, before casting it aside and diving deeper into the pool.

_This would be so much more fun if I didn't have to breathe! _Ken thought to himself as he returned to the surface a few minutes later, causing him to burst into laughter. Glancing towards the bleachers, he tilted his head to the side quizzically, wondering why Chris was staring at him like that. _Wait, wasn't there something I was supposed to be doing? _Ken wondered in confusion as he glanced around the pool. Several of the gyms Trainers were staring at him, as if they were surprised at his behavior. Even Sora looked confused.

Now Ken was sure that he was supposed to be doing something, but the more he tried to figure out what it was, the harder it became to focus. It seemed like something inside of him didn't _want _him to remember. _Come on, Ken! THINK! _he begged himself, pressing his hands to the side of his head, as if trying to squeeze the thoughts out by force. _Why am I here again?_ He looked over at the far end of the pool, where a girl with short red hair stood on a floating platform, hands on her hips and looking downright puzzled.

Instantly, Ken remembered why he was there. Forgetting briefly how to swim, he scrambled for a moment before regaining his composure, and proceeded to swim towards Misty.

"It's about time!" Misty laughed, as she jumped off the platform, landing in front of Ken in the water. She now wore a two-piece blue bathing suit, although her hair was still tied up in its trademark short ponytail. As she stood there floating gracefully in the pool, Ken became immediately aware of how skilled she was in the water.

"Sorry, I got a little side tracked," Ken mumbled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Misty blinked at him, then shrugged. "Ok, I have no idea what you just said, but I hope you're ready for the best!" Misty laughed, pulling out a Pokeball.

Ken sighed as he realized that he had failed once more to speak English, then nodded, wondering how exactly his Pokémon were supposed to battle in a place like that.

A man in black swim trunks with a whistle around his neck walked over to the side of pool and pushed a switch, sending several inner tubes of different sizes tumbling down into the pool. He surveyed the area critically for a moment before giving his whistle one long shrill toot. All the other Trainers quickly vacated the pool, grabbing towels off the nearby towel racks and looking extremely excited. The man nodded his approval towards them before turning his attention back to Ken and Misty.

"This will be a two-on-two battle between Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader, and the challenger: Ken from Pallet Town! As you can see, the battle will take place in the pool. Pokémon may swim in the pool, fly above it, or, for those who can do neither, may stand or move across the inner tubes provided. The challenger is allowed to substitute his Pokémon at any time. The gym leader may not. Let the battle begin!" as the man finished his sentence, he blew forcefully on his whistle, causing the sound to echo throughout the gym and the gym Trainers to cheer.

"Ok Staryu, let's go!" Misty called out, tossing her Pokeball into the water. The orb sunk to the bottom of the pool before bursting open on contact, creating a flash of white light before a brown and yellow starfish like Pokémon made its way to the surface.

"Sora, I need you!" Ken called to the sidelines, pointing dramatically towards the Staryu in a rather comical fashion. When no Bulbasaur came charging to his aid, Ken turned to the bleachers to see Sora staring at him like he was nuts.

"If you think I'm getting in that pool, you're crazier than Shade," she replied to his questioning look, body hunched over like a cat trying to avoid a bath.

Ken signaled for a time out, which resulted in a blow of the whistle from the referee and a groan from all the Trainers watching, and swam over to the edge of the pool. "Come on Sora," he begged, glancing uneasily at the impatient Trainers. "I really _really _need your help here! Please!"

Sora eyed her friend suspiciously for a moment, before sighing. "Ok Ken. Promise me I won't drown?" She glanced over at the pool, looking genuinely terrified.

Ken blinked. Could Bulbasaurs swim? He had no idea. The possibility that Sora might be just as afraid as he had been at the thought of swimming hadn't occurred to him. "I promise Sora," he reassured her with a warm smile. "Don't worry, you don't even have to get in the water. You can just stand on one of those inner tubes, see?" he explained, pushing one into the water and letting it pop back up. "And see that guy?" Ken pointed towards the referee. "He's the judge. He'll make sure that nothing bad happens. I'm pretty sure that he's the lifeguard here, too. It's his job to make sure that everyone's safe in the pool." He turned back to Sora, hoping that he had reassured her somewhat. "And don't worry; I'll be there with you the whole time. I promise."

Sora's eyes lit up and she happily jumped into Ken's arms, nuzzling him affectionately.

Several "awws" came forth from the crowd, even though none of them had understood what Ken and Sora had said.

Jumping from Ken's arms onto one of the inner tubes and carefully balancing herself, Sora prepared to battle.

The referee blew his whistle once more, and the battle began.

"Ok Sora, start out with Leech Seed!" Ken instructed. He heard several people on the sidelines shouting for him to speak English, causing him to blush heavily.

Sora nodded, a brown seed beginning to form in her bulb. Shifting her weight slightly to compensate for the force of the attack, Sora then launched the seed at Staryu, where it hit its mark. Seconds later, vines sprouted, wrapping the starfish tightly and beginning to suck away its energy.

"Not bad Ken," Misty acknowledged with a nod. A smile quickly crept its way across her lips. "But not good enough! Use Rapid Spin Staryu!"

The Pokémon in question began to quickly spin around, ripping the plant to bits and freeing itself from its energy sapping effects. If it was possible for something without a face to look smug, this Staryu certainly did.

Ken and Sora on the other hand looked crushed, surprised to see their opening strategy foiled so easily.

"Get it together Ken!" Chris shouted from the sidelines, standing up and throwing his arms in the air.

Ken nodded. "Ok Sora, Mew Vine Whip!"

"Bubblebeam!" Misty quickly instructed.

Sora sent out her vines, but the Staryu was already firing off a stream of light blue bubbles from the red jewel in its center. Sora's Vine Whip made short work of the bubbles, but Misty simply instructed her Pokémon to keep using Bubblebeam, not allowing the attack to get through.

Ken gritted his teeth. Misty knew _exactly _how to deal with a Grass Type, and she was using that knowledge to her full advantage.

"Staryu, Water Pulse!"

The starfish Pokémon then formed a large ball of water from the jewel in its center, aimed, and fired.

"Knock it back!" Ken quickly instructed, hoping to keep his Bulbasaur protected. He didn't know what he'd do if she were to get knocked off balance and into the pool. Most likely forfeit the round; her safety meant far more to him than winning a battle did.

Smacking the rapidly approaching orb of water with one of her vines, Sora sent the attack flying back towards Staryu, who let out what could only be described as a surprised squeak. As the move connected, the Pokémon was drawn inside, where the water began to churn, the internal pressure apparently doing some damage. Ken cringed as he saw this, glad that Sora had managed to avoid the attack. After a couple seconds, the ball released Staryu, whose jewel began to glow pink, and the Pokémon began to stumble around, as if dizzy.

"What did you do to it?" Ken asked Sora with a confused expression.

"Me? You're the one who said to knock the attack back!" Sora retorted, watching the disoriented Staryu with an equally bewildered expression.

"Water Pulse is a move that can confuse the target!" Chris called out franticly from the sidelines. "Hurry up and attack before it recovers!"

"Not a bad idea!" Misty laughed, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Staryu! Recover!"

Despite its confusion, the Pokémon obeyed, beginning to glow with a bright light. In seconds, the light faded and it looked healthier than it had before using the move.

"Thanks Chris, that helped Mew lot," Ken muttered sarcastically, causing his friend to shrug helplessly from the sidelines.

"Now try Bubblebeam!"

The starfish Pokémon leaned back, gathered power, then fired off a large stream of light blue bubbles…in the complete wrong direction. Ken let out a sigh of relief; apparently the confusion hadn't worn off yet.

"Vine Whip Sora! Hurry Mew grab Staryu!" Ken called out, hoping that the attack would be able to hit this time with the opponent in a confused state.

"You got it Ken!" Sora replied, quickly extending her vines and wrapping the Staryu tightly, determined not to let go, no matter what.

"Great job Sora!" Ken praised, glad that something was finally going right. Seizing his chance, he didn't hesitate to give his next command. "Now spin Mew around!"

Sora extended her vines further, lifting the helpless Water type high above the pool, and began to rapidly spin it around, much to the surprise of the spectators.

Kens tail twitched happily, excited that he was actually winning. "Sora spins Staryu right round, baby right round! Like a record when we go run round!" Ken sang merrily, giggling at the sight of the Pokémon being spun overhead like some kind of toy.

Chris face palmed as he heard this, thankful for once that Ken had failed to speak English. Unfortunately, the Mew hybrid certainly wasn't trying to hide his amusement, giggling like a kid in a candy shop and neglecting to give Sora any further instructions. Truthfully, it was obvious to anyone watching the scene that the Ken was simply playing with his opponent, causing Chris to shake his head in embarrassment.

"Come on Ken! Attack already!" he called out to the giggling Mew hybrid, who turned and stared at him, looking shocked and a little disappointed that his fun had been interrupted.

"We don't have time for this!" Misty groaned, clearly tired of the game. "Bubblebeam Staryu!"

Ken blinked in surprise as the spinning Pokémon began to launch its attack, sending bubbles flying everywhere. Not all of them managed to hit their target, but some of them did, causing Sora to stiffen as the inner tube rocked slightly, dropping down to her belly and clinging to the object for all she was worth.

Ken quickly snapped to attention. "Throw it Sora! Mew can do it!"

Sora looked over at her friend and nodded. Summoning her strength, she gave the Staryu one last spin before tossing it, sending it flying off into the side of the platform Misty had been standing on before toppling into the pool.

"No, Staryu!" Misty cried out in surprise, waiting intently for it to resurface.

Some bubbles floated up, and the Staryu floated to the surface, uttering the first actual words that Ken had heard it say sense the battle had started: "Does this piano make me look fat?"

"Staryu is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Ken of Pallet Town!" the referee announced with a blow of his whistle.

Ken tried his best to control himself, but what the Staryu had said was just _too funny_! Within seconds, he was caught up in a fit of high-pitched Mew laughter, unable to contain his amusement.

"So, you think that's funny, huh?" Misty asked with a glare as she returned Staryu to its Pokeball.

"N-no! Mew course not!" Ken tried franticly to explain, but Misty was already glaring daggers at him.

"And to think that I was going easy on you too!" Misty huffed, hands on her hips.

Ken blinked. She had been going _easy_ on him? "Look, it's not what Mew think-"

"Well that's it!" she continued, oblivious to Ken's efforts to explain. "If you can't take this battle seriously, then I might as well go all out!"

Ken shuddered, wondering just what he had gotten himself into.

Without a word, Misty pulled out a second Pokeball, leaning back and tossing it like a pitcher in major league baseball. The sphere flew forward and burst open, revealing a larger, purple starfish, a gloriously beautiful jewel in the center of its body glowing dimly in the seven colors of the rainbow.

"Think you can beat my Starmie?" Misty asked, gaze hard and determined.

The referee blew his whistle, signaling for the battle to begin and leaving Ken wondering if his ability to understand Pokémon was a curse rather than a blessing.

Ken stared at the Pokémon before him, already able to tell that this was a much more powerful opponent than the last. Yet still, there was something about this Pokémon that sent a chill down his spine…

_I'm fine,_ he thought to himself, shaking his head. _All I have to do is relax and this will be a piece of cake! After all, I still have Sora and Zoey-_

_Is that really what you think? _a feminine voice asked from within Ken's head. _You don't seem all that confident to me. _

Ken looked around briefly before realizing that it was the Starmie that had spoken. _You can hear me? _Ken asked in surprise, unable to believe that this Pokémon could be reading his mind.

_Of course you idiot!_ the Starmie replied, sounding cross. _Haven't you ever heard of telepathy? Honestly, you're a disgrace to Psychic Pokémon!_

_I'm not a Pokémon! _Ken mentally cried out, his thoughts now echoing throughout the gym. _Get out of my head!_

"So, you've figured out that my Starmie is a Psychic type Pokémon, huh?" Misty asked with a wide grin. "Ok then, let's give em a taste! Use Psychic!"

_I apologize for this, _the Starmie explained quietly. _I know that you were not laughing at the act of fainting my teammate. _

The Starmie began to glow with a bright blue energy, which then began to affect Sora as she was lifted high above the gym, her legs franticly peddling in the air, desperate to find solid ground. Then the energy around the floating Bulbasaur intensified and she cried out in pain before being hurled back onto the inner tube with a splash.

"Sora!" Ken cried out as he swam over to his fainted Bulbasaur. Carrying her over to the side of the pool and handing her to Chris, Ken pulled Zoey's Pokeball out of his bag and headed back into the water, hoping that she would have better luck against the strange starfish. _Ok Zoey, _Ken thought to himself, clutching the Pokeball tightly. _It's up to you. _

Zoey looked around curiously as she was released from the Pokeball, landing perfectly on one of the inner tubes. Spotting Ken, she hopped across the inner tubes and proceeded to give him a huge hug.

"Ok Zoey, enough! You have to battle now!" Ken explained, desperately trying to detach the overly affectionate Clefairy from him.

"Oh! Right!" the Clefairy laughed, jumping onto one of the inner tubes. "Don't worry Ken! Zoey will beat The Living Jewelry and will get you out of trouble with Wheel-Thingy-Girl!"

_The Living Jewelry? _the Starmie asked, sounding none too pleased.

_Sorry, _Ken muttered, rubbing the back of his head. _She's young; she doesn't mean anything by it. _

The Starmie seemed to accept his answer, regarding the young Clefairy fondly, or at least as fondly as something without a face could.

"The final battle between Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader, and the challenger, Ken from Pallet Town, will now begin!" the referee announced letting out a long shrill blast of his whistle. The excitement in the gym spiked, and soon, everyone in the gym began to cheer. Of course, everybody but Chris and Sora was cheering for Misty.

"Ok Zoey! Mew Metronome!" Ken called out, praying that the attack would turn into something good.

The little Clefairy began to wave her fingers rhythmically back and forth in a way that was almost mesmerizing until her fingertips began to glow. Then she opened her mouth wide…and fired off several small bubbles, which popped upon impact, doing little to no damage.

"Oh, crap."

"Tough luck Ken," Misty replied with a victorious looking grin. "Starmie! Use Water Pulse!"

The Pokémon began to form a large ball of water-much larger than Staryu's-from the crystal in its center, carefully charging up the attack, as if preparing to deliver the final blow.

"Zoey Mew out of there!" Ken cried out desperately as the attack was fired.

The attack came racing towards the Clefairy, who calmly jumped over it, not looking the least bit concerned.

Everyone in the gym-Ken, Misty, Chris, the gym guide, the gym trainers-all stared at the scene in shock. How in the world had Zoey done that?

Without waiting for Ken's next command, Zoey began to hop nimbly across the inner tubes towards the Starmie, looking like she was having a great time. Her right fist began to glow bright silver, and once she got in range, she punched the Starmie full force, leaving a trail of multi-colored stars streaming behind her.

The Starmie flew back several feet, as did Zoey, who landed safely on an inner tube, looking very proud of herself. The Starmie, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

"That was Meteor Mash!" Chris exclaimed in shock, eyes wide. "How in the world does Zoey know that?"

"Is Mew good?" Ken asked, not sure what the big deal was.

"Yes it's good!" Chris replied, unable to believe that Ken had no idea what Meteor Mash was. He paused a moment, looking thoughtful, before sighing. "Well, it _would _be, but Water types like Starmie resist Steel type moves like Meteor Mash."

"Great," Ken sighed, feeling somewhat defeated. "Mew here I thought that we might have found Mew secret weapon."

"Don't worry Ken," Zoey giggled, beginning to use her Metronome attack, "Zoey has a plan on how to beat The Living Jewelry! Just watch!"

_Oh boy, _Ken thought with a groan. _This is either a really good thing, or a really bad thing. Knowing my luck, it's a really bad thing!_

The whole gym went silent, waiting in nervous anticipation on what move Metronome would call up. Misty gave no further instruction to Starmie at this time, as without knowing what move the Clefairy would use, doing so would only put it in harm's way.

The Clefairy's fingertips began to glow with a bright light before the light began to spread to the rest of the Pokémon's body. Zoey's eyes went wide with surprise and she uttered a rather frightened sounding squeak. "Th-this isn't Thunderbolt!"

A huge explosion of light and energy rocked the gym, knocking Ken backwards and sending him tumbling beneath the water's surface. There were several loud popping noises as the inner tubes went up in the blast, completely destroyed. From beneath the water, Ken could make out the screams of the other Trainers, the startled cry of the referee, the horrified gasp of Chris, and even the cry of "Mommy!" from the gym guide.

_ZOEY! _Ken mentally cried out, begging that she would hear him. _PLEASE STOP! _He looked over to see that Misty was also beneath the water, bracing herself against the impact that now rocked the gym pool, fear shinning in her blue-green eyes.

Panic gripped Ken as the truth of the situation sank in, filling his heart with dread: Zoey had used Explosion.

Author's notes: I'm sorry, I know two cliffhangers in a row is a bit mean, but this was already a fairly long chapter, and it seemed like an interesting note to leave it on. Please don't hate me! ^_^;

Anyway, while you're waiting, why not check out _Charri: The Pokemorph Project_?

Thank you all for reading, and I wish everyone luck with their fanfiction! :)


	25. Chapter 24: This Is the World We Live in

Chapter 24: This is the World We Live in

Eventually the Explosion ceased, and Ken quickly swam to the surface, looking around frantically for Zoey. The pool had faired surprisingly well, the only real damage being the scraps of completely obliterated inner tube remains, which now littered the pool. The water had, thankfully, cushioned the blow for Ken and Misty, and both were now searching for their Pokémon, worry evident on their faces.

"Zoey! Zoey where are you?" Ken cried out, scanning the water for his friend. Some bubbles caught his attention, and he swam over to find a fainted and very battered looking Starmie float to the surface.

"Starmie!" Misty cried out, swimming over to the Pokémon and hugging it tightly. The Pokémon managed to let out a grunt to signal that it was ok, causing Misty to sigh in relief, hugging the Water and Psychic type close to her.

Ken stared into the calm water surface in dismay. _What have I done?_

"Ken!" The Mew hybrid looked up to see Chris running towards the edge of the pool, his eyes wide with fear and concern. "Ken, are you all right?"

Ken nodded, not meeting the Rigigigas hybrids gaze. "I'm fine, but what about Zoey?"

Chris's face contorted in confusion. "What? Ken Zoey is…" The Rigigigas hybrid trailed off as a small pink form floated its way to the surface of the pool.

"Zoey go boom…" the Clefairy muttered, before falling unconscious once again.

Ken quickly scooped Zoey into his arms, gently cradling her like one would a baby. She looked awful, covered in bruises and scorch marks, but there didn't seem to be any major injuries. Ken let out a sigh of relief, wondering how in the world Zoey had managed to survive something like that. Without a word, he climbed out of the pool, out the door, and ran towards the Pokémon Center as fast as he legs would carry him, nearly slipping on the wet tile once or twice.

"Well, she took quite a beating, but I'm happy to say that your Clefairy will make a full recovery!" Nurse Joy announced, causing Ken to let out a sigh of relief and finally release his death grip on Sora, who gasped as air was finally able to reach her lungs. She motioned towards a Chansey, who was now wheeling a stretcher with a heavily bandaged Clefairy sleeping on top of it.

"Zoey!" Ken cried out happily, rushing to her side.

The Clefairy stirred and looked at her Trainer with tiered eyes. "Ken-" she stopped suddenly, her face twisted in pain as she moved her arm in an attempt to reach him. "Ow!"

"Try not to move," he instructed her, gently patting her head.

"She's going to be very sore for about three days," Nurse Joy informed him. "Please don't use her in any more battles for awhile, ok?"

Ken hung his head in shame, his ears drooping. _This is all my fault. _

"It's not your fault," Nurse Joy assured him. "There's no way you could have known what move Metronome would call."

"Mew could have killed her!" Ken cried out in dismay, burying his face in his hands.

Chris and Nurse Joy looked at Ken in surprise, before regarding him with sympathetic understanding.

"Ken, the move Explosion isn't nearly as bad as it sounds," Nurse Joy explained with a kind smile. "The Explosion is created _inside the Pokémon_ and forced outward in the form of an energy wave. It causes tremendous damage, to the user as well as the opponent, but not nearly enough to cause serious harm. In addition, most Pokémon who can learn Explosion usually either have bodies designed to handle such a blast, such as Electrode and Weezing, or posses some sort of durability, such as Golem and Onix. In fact, those Pokémon usually recover rather quickly. As for your Clefairy, she has neither, so she took the full force of the blast. Don't worry, in a couple of days, she'll be back to her old, playful self!"

Ken stared at the nurse, mouth open in disbelief. "But…but…she _Exploded_," he explained, emphasizing the word "Exploded."

"The name 'Explosion' is a bit of a misnomer," Nurse Joy acknowledged, turning to Zoey with a gentle smile. "The Pokémon doesn't _actually _explode, despite what rumors may tell you. The Pokémon actually _creates an explosion inside its body, _forcing it outward in a powerful blast of energy. Your Clefairy should be feeling one hundred percent in about three days, but I wouldn't let her battle for about a week, to make sure that she's properly recovered."

Ken nodded, glancing over at Zoey, his expression one of wonder. How was it that Pokémon could stand such high amounts of damage, damage that would surely kill a human? And what did that mean of his own endurance?

Heading over to a corner of the Pokémon Center with Sora on his shoulder and confusion in his heart, Ken began to go over what had happened. Pokémon got injured all the time, but they recovered rather quickly. Zoey was going to be fine, but why did he feel so bad? Shaking his head, Ken buried his face in his arms, trying to make sense of what it was he felt.

"You ok?" Ken looked up to see Misty walking towards him, a friendly smile on her face. She sat down next to him, looking sympathetic and understanding. "I know how you feel," she explained, looking towards the back, where her Pokémon were no doubt being treated. She turned to Ken, her face solemn. "If anything ever happened to my Pokémon, I don't know what I'd do." She stood up and turned to Ken, an embarrassed look on her face. "Hey, uh, your friend told me about how this was your first gym battle, and I think I may have gotten a bit carried away. Sorry about that!" she laughed, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

"Its ok, Mew should have kept a better eye on Mew Clefairy-"

"Your friend told me about how you only caught Zoey _after_ she blew up my bike, too," Misty interrupted, looking slightly amused.

"What else did he tell Mew?" Ken asked, eyeing Misty cautiously.

"Only that you weren't laughing at my Pokémon, just at something it said. Oh yeah, and that your slowly becoming more like a Pokémon!"

"_Mew?_" Ken cried out in shock, his face growing hot with embarrassment.

"Hey, it really isn't that hard to figure out," Misty replied with a laugh. "I'm pretty sure that you didn't have that much fur yesterday," she added, pointing towards Ken's furry hands.

"You can tell?" he asked, hiding his hands behind his back, causing the Water Trainer to giggle.

"Yeah. Sorry about the battle being at the pool," Misty replied, looking apologetic. She gave him a second look before sighing. "And I'm really sorry Clyde made you wear those awful swimming trunks. He told me that they matched your hair, so he figured it would be funny. Don't worry, he's on pool cleaning duty for the next month," Misty explained, an evil glint in her eyes.

Ken managed a laugh at this, thankful that it hadn't been Misty's idea to give him such ugly swim wear. "Thanks Misty."

She nodded. "If it helps, they don't look that bad on you!"

Ken glanced down at his outfit and sighed, a smile forming on his lips. "They Mew match my hair," he admitted, causing both Trainers to laugh.

Misty returned to her spot next to Ken, a thoughtful look on her face. "About the battle-"

"Mew know, I was terrible," Ken sighed, staring down at his feet and not meeting her gaze.

"No, not at all," Misty insisted, causing Kens ears to perk up with interest. "In fact, you did really well, especially considering that it was your first real battle." Ken looked up at Misty, who smiled before continuing. "However, I couldn't help making a couple of observations: First of all, you sent out Sora _way _too soon. You should always save your strongest Pokémon for last, you don't know when you might really need it. Second, using Metronome in such a critical situation was a seriously _bad idea_-not that I'm blaming you!" Misty quickly added when she saw the look on Ken's face. "I'm only saying that it's just too unpredictable to be used in that kind of situation."

Ken nodded, taking in all her advice without comment and deciding that this would be the perfect opportunity to learn a thing or two.

"Third, you really need to follow through with your attacks, and you seem to get distracted far too easily," Misty continued, amusement showing in her eyes. "Truthfully, I think you were just playing with Staryu before."

Ken blushed, recalling how he had told Sora to spin Staryu around, his blush increasing tenfold as he recalled that he had actually broke into song in the middle of a battle. _Oh crap, _Ken thought, sinking down into his seat in embarrassment.

"Hey relax, it's not your fault!" Misty assured him, her tone reassuring. Slowly, Ken glanced up at her and she continued. "You can't help it. It's in your nature, after all!"

"Mew?" Ken asked, a confused look on his face.

"See, Mews are known as a very playful species of Pokémon," Misty explained, a dreamy look beginning to form in her eyes as she stared off into space. "They don't really care much for battles at all!"

"I'm _not _a Pokémon," Ken replied as calmly as he could, flicking his tail in annoyance.

"Part of you is," Misty insisted, her expression turning serious. "You have to except that."

"Mew do accept that!" Ken insisted, his tail beginning to lash back and forth.

Misty stood up, hands on her hips, looking irritated. "You do not! You deny every Pokémon thing about you, even the stuff that's plain for the world to see! Like this for instance," she said, grabbing onto the Mew hybrids tail before he had the chance to protest. "What do you call this?"

"That's my tail, Mew let go!" Ken growled, prying his tail out of the red heads grasp.

"Exactly! How many people do you know who have a tail?"

"Mew…uh…" Ken trailed off, knowing for a fact that he didn't know any. He stared at the furry pink appendage in his hand and sighed, feeling rather defeated. _Ok, so maybe I'm not COMPLETELY human, but still, there IS human in me, so that makes me human…right?_

Misty sat down and put a comforting hand on Ken's shoulder, which he ignored. She sighed. "I'm not saying you have to disregard your human side, only that you have to accept your Pokémon side, too."

Ken sighed, finally releasing his tail, which resumed its normal position behind him. _I don't even know what I am,_ he thought to himself, staring down at his feet, now beginning to wonder if the word "paws" would be more appropriate. Sora snuggled into the side of his neck in an effort to comfort him and he returned her kindness with a pat on the head. "I don't want Mew lose Mew human part of me," Ken explained to Misty, barely meeting her gaze. "I can feel it fading away, a little at I time, and Mew don't like it."

Misty regarded Ken with a halfhearted smile, unsure of what to say. She stood and walked over towards the Pokémon Center window, gazing out at the town, before turning back towards Ken, her expression hopeful. "I don't really know much about Mew, actually, only that I've wanted to see one ever since I was a little girl." She blushed as she admitted this, carefully watching Ken's expression. "Bill might be able to help you though, he's what people would call a Pokémaniac, and rare Pokémon are his specialty. He'd be able to tell you more about Mew. Who knows? He might even be able to help you figure out why this is happening to you."

Ken's eyes lit up as he heard this. "Really? Mew have to see him right away! Where does Mew live?"

"Whoa, cool it will ya?" Misty laughed, grabbing the overly excited Mew hybrid by the shoulder. "Your Clefairy still needs time to recuperate, and you could use a break yourself!"

Ken nodded, knowing that he had to put his Pokémon's health before his problem.

"Good!" Misty smiled, then turned to head towards the counter to check and see how her Pokémon were doing. Pausing, she turned back to Ken, an amused grin on her face. "By the way, how about after you change out of that ridiculous outfit, we have lunch?"

Ken glanced down at the pink swimming trunks, blushed, and nodded.

"Good!" Misty said, continuing towards the counter where her Pokeballs waited. "By the way, you're buying!"

Feeling like he'd just been tricked, Ken headed to his room to change. Walking into the bathroom and depositing the sopping wet swim trunks on the floor, Ken turned the nozzle on the tub, adjusted the temperature, and soon had a steamy shower going. Stepping into the warmth, Ken grabbed the shampoo bottle and proceeded to wash the chlorine out of his hair. He purred as the warm water cascaded down on him, glad to be able to take the time to relax and just forget his troubles.

It didn't last long.

"Ken! There's a man in our room!"

"That's the TV, Sora," Ken sighed, grabbing the bar of soap and hoping that she would let him shower in peace.

"No, it isn't! He's in a box and-"

"That's what a TV _is _Sora," Ken sighed. "We had one at the _last _Pokémon Center we went to. _Remember?_"

"I _know _that!" Sora sighed, sounding irritated. "I mean a _real _box!"

Ken blinked. _"What?"_

Switching off the water and pulling on a white bathrobe, Ken quickly headed out of the bathroom to see just what it was that had gotten his friend so freaked out.

Sure enough, there was a large cardboard box sitting in Ken's makeshift living room. Large enough, in fact, to conceal a full-grown man. Cautiously, Ken reached out and tapped the box with his foot. The box shook, revealing a man dressed in what appeared to be an army outfit. Ken and the man stared at each other for what must have been a good five minutes, and Ken couldn't tell who was more confused.

Suddenly, the room shook, and what appeared to be some sort of portal materialized in the middle of the room. The shaking continued as what appeared to be some kind of Pokémon stepped out of the vortex. He, as Ken was fairly sure that the Pokémon was male, was approximately seven feet tall with shaggy yellow fur covering his body, which grew longer around his face, giving him the impression of having a beard. Two black tails jutted out behind him, their red tips blinking once or twice as if channeling electricity. Silver stripes covered his body, and a pair of antenna stood up from the top of his head from beneath what appeared to be an army hat, and he wore a matching army jacket.

The man in the box took one look at this strange Pokémon, gulped, and made a beeline for the door, but the Pokémon in question was far too fast for him, grabbing him firmly by the shirt and proceeding to shove him towards the portal.

"And jus' where do you think yer goin' ya sorry excuse for a soldier? I've told ya a thousand times-stay in yer own universe!" the Pokémon growled in a southern accent, and, to Ken's surprise, in English.

"I'm sorry sir!" the man from the box whimpered, quickly falling into a clumsy salute. "It won't happen again sir!"

The Pokémon shook his head and let out a long tired sigh. "I'd better not! Cause if I catch ya again, you know what'll happen." He looked the man strait in the eye and the man gulped. "Good! Now, back in the portal ya go!" The man quickly dashed for the portal, dived in, and vanished. "And take yer box with ya!" the Pokémon hollered after him, tossing the cardboard box inside. He shook his head, a look somewhere between confusion and embarrassment on his face. "Honestly, what were they thinkin'? What kinda soldier hides inside a cardboard box? Aw well, can't be worsen' a plumber who shoots fire balls an' never _actually _does any plummin'!" He looked over at Ken, who had been attempting to get to his Pokedex, and sighed, one hand on his head. "Aw crap, a Pokémorph. That's jus' what I needed."

Ken stood still as a statue, staring at the figure in front of him wide eyed, unable to find the words to speak. It wasn't every day that a Pokémon climbed out of a portal from nowhere, after all.

"What's the matter? Cat got yer tongue? Oh, well I guess it does!" the Pokémon added, looking rather amused.

Ken simply stared at the Electric type in disbelief. _How can he possibly know that?_

"I'm talkin' to ya, boy!" the Pokémon called out, snapping Ken out of his train of thought. "Speak up!"

"Who-who are you?" Ken managed to choke out, never more confused in his life.

"Folks call me General Circuit. Anythin' more than that's not important right now," Circuit replied dismissively, appearing to be taking some level of enjoyment out of Ken's blatantly obvious confusion.

"Ok…what exactly are you doing here?" Ken asked, not really sure what was going on. "And who was that?" He gestured towards the portal were the man and his cardboard box had vanished.

"Aw, jus' a sorry excuse fer a soldier named Solid Snake," Circuit replied with a shrug. "Fella keeps tryin' to check out other peoples universes, means no harm, but as th' say, curiosity killed the cat-er, Meowth."

"Other people's universes?" Ken asked, eyes wide with disbelief. "What do you mean, other-"

"Not important," Circuit interrupted.

"But-"

"_Not. _Important," Circuit repeated, clearly not wanting to discuss the issue any further.

Ken shivered slightly, his ears twitching. He wasn't sure who this Pokémon was, but something about him absolutely _screamed_ authority. Authority and years and years of experience. Trying to pick his questions carefully, Ken asked the one that stuck out most insistently in his mind. "Ok, so what's a Pokémorph?"

Circuit looked surprised for a moment before he burst out laughing, leaving Ken even more confused than he was before. During this time, Ken took the opportunity to grab his Pokedex and point it at the strange Pokémon.

"Pokémon unknown. Would you like to check the National list?" Irritably pressing "yes," Ken pointed it once again at the still laughing Circuit. "Electivire, the evolved form of Electibuzz. This Pokémon is native to the Sinnoh region. No further information. Please update Pokedex."

_Man am I getting sick of hearing that,_ Ken thought to himself irritably, tail twitching. _That still doesn't explain why he came out of a portal, or why he can speak English…_

"Aw, sorry!" Circuit apologized, slapping his knee in amusement. "But when you've lived as long as I have, nothin' beats a good laugh now an' again! To answer yer question, you're a Pokémorph."

Ken blinked in surprise. "You know what I am?"

"Course I do. In my universe it's not unheard of, though I can't say people are exceptin' of it." He scratched his head thoughtfully, adjusting his hat. "I guess the name hasn' caught on here yet. Aw, well. Someday." The Electivire turned to head back towards the portal, preparing to leave.

"Wait!" Ken cried out, hurrying after Circuit. "Please tell me more! What's happening to me?"

"Sorry, but I've got some business to take care of an' yer givin' me a headache," the Electivire replied, one hand to his temple. "Besides, I don't think yer ready to know the truth."

And with that, General Circuit vanished within the portal, which began to glow brighter, until the light seemed to consume everything. Seconds later, Ken found himself in the shower once more with Sora yelling at him to hurry up.

_Did I fall asleep in here? _Ken wondered, as he shut off the water and pulled on a white bathrobe. _Was all of that really just a dream? It seemed so real…_

Shaking his head, Ken headed out of the bathroom to get dressed, trying his best to forget about the silver-striped Electivire in the army jacket.

But still, try as he might, he couldn't rid his mind of one word. One word that seemed to be repeating itself in an endless loop within his mind.

Pokémorph.

_Later…_

Lunch with Misty was going well, and Ken quickly found out that the Cerulean City Café made a delicious chicken melt. Pushing the weirdness of earlier to the back of his mind, Ken finally managed to relax. His Pokémon were eating their meals nearby, even Zoey, though Ken wished that she had stayed at the Pokémon Center to rest as he'd asked, and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Taking a drink of her Pecha berry shake, Misty turned to Ken with a serious look on her face. "Listen Ken, its time I told you the real reason I brought you here." Ken's ears twitched in confusion, and she found herself staring at them in spite herself. Looking away, she continued. "You're planning on becoming a Trainer, right?" Ken nodded. "Well, don't take this the wrong way, but you don't really seem like the Trainer _type_. It just doesn't seem like you'd get much enjoyment out of that sort of thing."

Ken tilted his head to the side thoughtfully, then realized that she was right. Having his Pokémon battle didn't interest him in the slightest.

Seeing Ken's look of agreement, Misty let out a sigh of relief. "Don't get me wrong, it's not that you're bad at it. It's just that you don't seem to like battling very much." She turned to Ken, a smile on her face. "Honestly, you seem more like the type who's just happy to be with Pokémon."

Ken stared at Misty in disbelief, knowing in his heart that what she had just said described him perfectly. He nodded, willing her to continue.

"Anyway, I don't think you should challenge any more gyms."

"Why?" Ken asked, a suspicious frown on his face. Something about Misty's request didn't feel right. It felt like she was hiding something. Something she was trying desperately to keep secret…

Misty bit her lip, then glanced around the restaurant, as if she didn't want anyone listening in on what she was about to say. "It's only a rumor," Misty sighed, leaning in close to Ken so she could speak as softly as possible. "But…people are saying that some of the Gym Leaders aren't quite as…legit as the public is lead to believe."

"What do Mew mean?" Ken asked, ears twitching.

Misty hesitated, knowing that telling the Mew hybrid could destroy his trust in people forever. Still, she knew that she had to tell him. "Some people say that certain Gym Leaders are actually part of Team Rocket."

_"What?" _Ken asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Keep your voice _down_!" Misty hissed, glancing around to make sure no one had overheard. Sighing, she turned back to Ken, a worried look on her face. "Like I said, it's only a rumor. I just thought you should know, especially with all the talk that's going around."

"What kind Mew talk?"

Once more, Misty hesitated before continuing. "Well…they say that the leader of Team Rocket really only has one goal in mind: to control the most powerful Pokémon in existence, by any means necessary." She leaned in closer to Ken, her expression grave. "They say that he has his sights set on a Mew."

Ken's heart began to beat faster, recalling the incidents in the Pewter Museum of Science and Mt. Moon. By the sounds of it, the rumors might be true…

"Ken, listen to me! If what people say is true, then Team Rocket is going to come after you!" Misty cried out, her voice just above a whisper.

"Me?" Ken asked, mind nervously wandering to the supposed Mew fossil that lay tucked inside his backpack. "Why me?"

Misty let out a rather loud, impatient sounding sigh. "Honestly Ken, haven't you looked in a mirror lately? You're a Mew hybrid! Any idiot can see that, even the dumbest members of Team Rocket!"

"But I'm not a Pokémon!" Ken insisted, tail twitching impatiently. "They can't control Mew, or catch me in Mew Pokeball! I'm worthless to them!"

Misty shook her head, sadness visible in her eyes. "And you don't think that they could change that?"

Ken stared at Misty, not sure what to believe. _Are they the reason I'm becoming more like a Pokémon? _Ken wondered to himself. _If so, then how?_ He pondered the idea for a while, still not convinced. After all, he was pretty sure that he had already started changing before his first run in with Team Rocket.

"I don't know if any of this is true Ken. I just want you to be careful. They say that some Gym Leaders are legit, some are double agents, getting information on Team Rocket from the inside, and some are _really _working for Team Rocket. The problem is, you just can't be sure which are which. That's why I'm suggesting that you don't battle any more Gym Leaders. I don't even know that many of them all that well myself. Lt. Surge has a tendency to lock himself away in his gym, Sabrina is…well, creepy, Koga's obsessed with his invisible walls, Erika's always busy with her flower arranging, no one's heard from Blaine in years, and no one even knows _who _the eighth Gym Leader is!"

"What about Brock?" Ken asked, having never met the Pewter Gym Leader before.

Misty groaned. "He's the only Gym Leader who I _know _you can trust. He's only dangerous to pretty girls!"

Ken laughed at this, thankful that he knew at least one other Gym Leader was trustworthy.

After their meal, which Ken did end up paying for, Misty said her goodbyes and headed back towards the gym.

"I'd love to travel someday," she admitted to Ken before she left. "But there's just nobody I can count on to look after the gym while I'm gone." She sighed, eyes full of wishes left unsaid. "Sometimes I wish I had a sister. I bet we'd get along great, and I'd have someone to look after the gym for me! Oh well, in another life maybe!" she laughed, before turning to Ken, a big smile on her face. "So, you heading to Bills now? It's out on Cerulean Cape, just north of here, remember?"

Ken nodded. "Soon. Mew might spend another day in Cerulean City, though. There's someplace I have Mew visit first."

Misty looked curious, but nodded, and headed back towards the gym, a happy smile on her face. Just before she entered the gym, she turned and ran back towards Ken, took his furry pink Mew ears between her fingers, and began to rub them.

Ken began to blush heavily, never having anyone do that before. Still, there was something almost pleasant about the sensation.

"Sorry!" Misty laughed, pulling away and blushing herself. "I just _had _to do that before I left! I've always wondered what it'd feel like to pet a Mew's ears!" She turned and headed back towards her gym, waving to him, a huge smile on her face. "See ya Ken!"

Ken waved back, still blushing and too stunned to speak.

"I think she likes you Ken," Chris teased, causing the Mew hybrid to shoot him an irritated glare, as they headed off through Cerulean City.

Author's notes: Ok, first off, credit for General Circuit goes to Mulitversity. Anyone wanting to learn more about him should read _The Electivire Guild_. I did my best to capture Circuit's personality and accent, although I'm not really sure how good a job I did. ^_^;

For those of you who have read the Pokémon Adventures/Pokémon Special Manga, Misty's description of Gym Leaders working for Team Rocket might sound familiar. For those who haven't, don't worry, I haven't either! ^_^; But boy, would I like to! Also, don't think you can guess which Gym Leaders are evil just by reading the Manga, I'll make sure of that! *evil laugh*

See ya! :)


	26. Ch 25: Its a Great Trip, Icecream Shop

Chapter 25: It's a Great Trip, Ice Cream Shop

"That is the weirdest looking stick I have ever seen."

"Oh come on, Sora!" Ken sighed, holding out the ice cream cone to his friend. "It's just ice cream! You'll love it, I promise!"

Reluctantly, Sora extended one of her vines, taking the ice cream cone from Ken, and took a cautious bite. Instantly, her eyes lit up, and she began devouring it heartily.

Ken laughed, taking a bite of his own ice cream: one scoop of Chocolate Peanutbuttercup, one scoop of Lum berry Blitz. "I'm glad you like it Sora. Just don't eat it too fast or-"

"Ahhhh!" Sora cried out, face twisted in pain. "My head!"

"That's called brain freeze," Ken sighed, trying his best not to laugh. "It's what happens when you eat ice cream too fast. Just stick your tongue to the roof of your mouth and you'll be fine."

Sora looked skeptical, but did as Ken said. In a few seconds she sighed in relief, thanked Ken, then went back to eating her ice cream exactly the way she had before.

Ken sighed as he watched his Pokémon eating their ice cream. Sora kept getting brain freeze, Zoey had ordered Bubblegum Burst and was now trying to blow the biggest bubble she could, and Shade was still insisting that he didn't need a cone holder, despite the fact that he had no hands.

"Quite the team, aren't they?" Chris laughed, he and Kyo enjoying their Rocky Road ice cream.

Ken nodded, wondering why his Pokémon couldn't be as well behaved as Chris's. With a shrug, he tried to enjoy the moment. He'd passed by the Cerulean City ice cream shop, which was right next door to the bike shop, a few times already, and was glad to finally be able to visit and keep his promise to Sora.

Truthfully, this was the first time he'd ever been to an ice cream shop. His mom had brought him home ice cream before, but he'd never actually been taken out to eat it. He let out a purr as he happily ate his ice cream, his favorite since he was four. As he took his first bite of Lum berry Blitz, a frown crossed his face.

_These aren't real Lum berries, _he thought to himself, taking another bite, wondering if he was mistaken. _No, definitely not. _He'd had Lum berries before, had several in his bag right now in fact, and these clearly weren't real. _It tastes so, __**artificial**_**, **he realized, then paused, wondering how in the world something could taste artificial. Shrugging, he decided to check on his ice cream. "Excuse Mew, but what happened to the Lum berry ice cream? Mew know, the kind with real Lum berries in it?"

"You're joking, right?" the man at the counter laughed. "There's never _been_ any real Lum berry ice cream! What? You honestly expect such a rare berry to be made into a _frozen treat_? Are you _nuts?_ Too much of it gets ground up to make Full Heal for that to even be _close _to practical! And don't get me started on Full Restore! Do you have any _idea_ the money they make from that stuff?"

Ken had a pretty good guess. After all, it was always promoted as every Trainers dream item, being sold at ridiculously high prices. "So…Mew isn't any?" he asked, very disappointed.

The man glared at him for a minute, eyes cold and unfriendly. "Yes, we'd all _gladly _sacrifice our medical supplies just to please you, _Your Majesty_! Look, why don't you go somewhere else if you don't like it?" He turned to Ken, a wicked smirk on his face. "Besides, as I recall, there aren't any wild Pokémon allowed in here!"

"What are Mew talking about?" Ken asked, tail beginning to lash back and forth in irritation. "There _aren't _any wild Pokémon in here! These are mine, Mew those belong to Chris!" Ken growled, pointing out each group of Pokémon to their owner.

"So tell me," the man laughed, looking Ken straight in the eye. "Who do _you_ belong to?"

Ken let out an unmistakable hiss, his right ear beginning to twitch like crazy. Quickly addressing the situation, Chris had to drag the furious Mew hybrid out of the ice cream shop before he got himself into a fistfight with the guy.

Once out of the shop, Ken let out a long, angry scream, which to any ordinary human standing nearby would have sounded something like, "Meeeeeeeeeeew!"

"What's going on?"

Ken, still angrier than he'd even been in his life, turned towards the sound of the voice. A tall man with thick gray hair and a matching mustache stood in the doorway of the ice cream shop, looking confused.

"I…AM NOT…A POKEMON," Ken hissed, extremely slowly with the tone of someone who is just barely containing their anger. Chris looked to the Mew hybrids right ear, which was now twitching more than he'd ever seen, a sign he'd learned to read as "Ken is angry".

"Oh my! Carl! Were you being rude to customers again?" the man called to the man from earlier, looking very cross.

"He's the one who wanted to make a scene!" Carl retorted, as if he'd done nothing wrong. "I don't even know why we have to serve that little fur ball-"

"One more word out of you and your fired!" the man warned, eyes narrowing into slits. Carl began to mutter under his breath and the man turned his attention back to Ken. "I'm terribly sorry! He's never been much of a people person! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Jackson Robbins! Call me Jack!" he laughed, extending his hand to shake Ken's.

Ken hesitated for a moment, then cautiously reached out and took the man's hand, who didn't react in the slightest to Ken's furry hands, regarding the Mew hybrid with a kind smile. "Ken," he replied simply, not sure what to make of the guy.

"Aw, nice to meet you Ken!" Jack laughed, shaking the teen's hand so much he thought his arm would fall off. "Come! Let's get you some ice cream! On the house!"

Ken brightened at the sound of this, never having the opportunity to finish his first cone, which he'd dropped after Carl had made that comment about him needing an owner. "And for Mew friend and our Pokémon, too?"

"As much as you want!" Jack laughed, leading Ken inside. "My treat!"

Ken smiled, thankful that there were at least some people out there who still treated him like everyone else.

* * *

Meanwhile, far away in the distant Hoenn region, a fifteen-year-old boy was impatiently waiting to board the SS Kyogre. He cast an irritated glance at his Pokenav, the time reading 1:19.

_Oh come on! The ship was scheduled to leave at one o' clock sharp! What's taking so long?_ He began tapping his foot impatiently, as if that would somehow improve the situation.

Suddenly, the sound of a megaphone echoed across the loading area. "The SS Kyogre, fast ship bound for the Kanto region, is now boarding! Passengers, please have tickets ready as you make your way to the loading docks!"

The teen grinned, his bright green eyes sparkling in the sunlight. Hurrying towards the ship, pushing several people out of the way, he presented the woman from the loudspeaker, a pretty girl of around sixteen, with his ticket.

"Thank you!" she said, punching his ticket and handing it back to him. "I hope you'll enjoy your trip aboard the SS Kyogre!"

"I will if you'll be there," he laughed, winking at her as he strode onto the ship, confidence in every step.

The woman blinked in surprise and turned towards where the blue haired teen had headed, but he'd already vanished.

* * *

"Oh man Chris, I think I ate too much ice cream! Is that even _possible_?"

Chris chuckled at the sight of his friend sprawled out in the booth, looking as if he was about to burst. "Probably. Ice cream wasn't too popular in Snowpoint, so I really couldn't tell you."

"Meeeew!" Ken moaned, rubbing his stomach in discomfort. It was just that: a moan, and even Chris couldn't make any sense of it.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have eaten six double scoop ice cream cones!" Chris sighed, surprised that the skinny Mew hybrid could even eat that much. As it was, Ken's stomach appeared to be slightly swollen beneath his t-shirt. "Maybe going to the ice cream shop right after lunch wasn't such a good idea," Chris remarked with a sigh.

"Probably not," Ken admitted, stretching his arms over his head with a groan. "But it was worth it!"

Chris sighed, shook his head, and proceeded to help the very full Mew hybrid back to the Pokémon Center, wondering absentmindedly if Nurse Joy had anything that would cure a stomach ache.

* * *

Back on board the SS Kyogre, a certain blue haired teen had just received a chocolate shake from one of the waitresses.

"Now, if there's anything else I can get you, please let me know!" she smiled, as he took the shake and placed it on the stand next to his bed.

He stared at her consideringly for a moment before a sly grin broke out on his face. "How about your phone number?"

What followed certainly didn't come as a surprise to him.

_SMACK!_

"Call me!" he laughed, rubbing his already stinging cheek.

"You're a pig!" she retorted, walking out of his room and slamming the door.

Shrugging, he flopped onto his bed to await the long trip to Kanto. Taking a drink of his milkshake, he reached into his jeans pocket, pulled out a crumpled up newspaper article, and smiled. "Hmmm…Mew Boy, huh?"

* * *

Author's notes: Well, in this chapter we have Ken keeping his promise to Sora from way back in chapter 7, and it seems that Ken has attracted the attention of yet another individual. Also, I figured out how to make line breaks! Yay line breaks! XD Seriously though, hopefully this will make things like time skips and scene changes easier to follow and understand. :)

Thanks for reading, everybody! :)


	27. Chapter 26: Plot in the Dark

Chapter 26: Plot in the Dark

"Just to clarify, exactly _how much_ ice cream did you eat?" Nurse Joy asked, a frown on her face.

"Six double scoops," Ken replied with a groan, rubbing his stomach. "Right after Mew ate lunch."

Nurse Joy let out a sigh. "Which consisted of?"

"A chicken melt, fries, and Mew chocolate shake," Ken replied, rolling over onto his side in an effort to rid himself of the pain that now filled his stomach. _Curse my love of sweets!_

Nurse Joy shook her head at the Mew hybrid who now lay sprawled out on the examination table in the back of the Pokémon Center. "I understand that the owner offered you free ice cream, but was it really necessary to eat _that much_?"

"Uh-huh," Ken muttered, sitting up to glance at Nurse Joy, who barely managed to stifle a laugh. "Why do Mew have to be here anyway?" Ken grumbled, attempting to stand up, the pain in his stomach quickly making him think otherwise. "It's only Mew stomach ache, and even if it _were_ serious, I'm not a Pokémon!"

"Just lie still," Nurse Joy instructed, gently pushing Ken onto his back.

_Chris, I'm going to kill you for this! _Ken growled, recalling the Rigigigas hybrid's insistence that he be examined. _Honestly, it's JUST a stomachache people! _he sighed, tail flicking in annoyance. _What was everybody's problem? _

"Does this hurt?" Nurse Joy asked, applying a small amount of pressure to Ken's stomach.

"YES!" Ken cried out, sitting bolt upright, only to be shoved back down again. "You know, I'm not Mew of your patients. I _can _tell you what's wrong, you know, and I'm telling Mew, it's _just_ a stomach ache!"

The woman smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "If you were one of my usual patients, I'd have either put you in the restoration machine, or given you some Pokémon specific medicine by now. As it is, you're a bit different, neither human nor Pokémon. There's a reason why doctors don't treat Pokémon. The wrong treatment could make you sick."

"Mom always gave Mew Pepto-Bismol," Ken growled, tail twitching in irritation. "Why does everyone seem Mew think that my needs would be any different than anyone else's?"

Nurse Joy sighed and pulled out a Pokedex, pointing it at Ken. "This is why."

"Pokémon unknown. Unable to identify. Type is Psychic. Ability is Synchronize. No further information."

Ken blinked, the fact that the Pokedex truly believed he was a Pokémon finally sinking in. _Wait a minute, _Ken realized, a lump forming in his throat. _I'm pretty sure that it didn't have that much information the last time it scanned me! What in the world is going on here?_

"You say that your becoming more like a Pokémon?" Nurse Joy asked, returning the Pokedex to a nearby desk drawer. Ken nodded, not sure what else to do. "Well, if that's the case, your needs may change at some point. Do berries work on you by any chance?"

"Yeah," Ken admitted, not sure he was going to like where this was going…

"Oh, good! I'd say in your current state, both human and Pokémon treatments would work. Still, I think I'd rather stick to what I know. You don't mind do you?"

"Uhh…" Ken muttered, debating whether or not it would be wise to make a run for the door.

"Good!" Nurse Joy beamed, grabbing a packet of green powder from her stash of medical supplies. "Now, this usually does the trick, only thing is…"

Chris sat in the Pokémon Center, wondering if Ken was feeling any better, when he heard a loud cry pierce the air.

"MEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!"

"…It's rather bitter."

"Eww! Eww! Eww!" Ken cried, running around the room, eyes wide, face twisted into an expression of disgust.

"Yes, it tastes rather awful, so I've heard, but it works!" Nurse Joy admitted, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "On the plus side, it looks like you're feeling a bit better!"

"Oh my God, this stuff is _horrible_!"

_Several minutes later…_

Chris looked up to see a very angry looking Mew hybrid walk out of the back of the Pokémon Center, an apologetic, yet slightly amused looking Nurse Joy returning to her desk.

Ken's gaze softened as Sora happily jumped up onto his shoulder, gently patting her on the head. He then cast a glare in the Rigigigas hybrids direction, looking none too happy.

"Let me guess," Chris asked with a sigh, "you hate me again?"

"Yep," Ken replied simply, heading up to his room in order to give himself time to digest, and the medicine time to reach its full effectiveness.

* * *

A few hours later Ken lay sprawled out on his bed, feeling much better, and somewhat drowsy. With a yawn and a stretch, he shifted his position on the bed, eyes beginning to close…

"WE ALL LIVE IN A POKEMON WORLD! POKEMON! I WANNA BE THE GREATEST MASTER OF THEM ALL!"

"Ahhh!" Ken cried out, toppling out of the bed as the TV turned on, blaringly loud.

"Ken!" Zoey cried out, sounding terrified. "The Talking Box is angry! It's screaming at Zoey!"

Ken let out a groan as he spotted the remote control beneath Zoey's foot, the little Clefairy having stepped on it by accident. He pointed the remote at the TV and clicked it off, flopping back onto the bed with a moan.

Zoey let out a sigh of relief before jumping onto the bed and positioning herself on top of Ken's chest. "Ken will play with Zoey now?" she asked, her eyes dancing with excitement.

"Zoey," Ken sighed, turning to the Clefairy on top of him with slight irritation. "You're supposed to be taking it easy. _Remember_?"

"Zoey feels fine!" the little Pokémon insisted, jumping up and down once before wincing. Ken raised an eyebrow. "Ok, so Zoey is a _tiny_ bit sore, but Zoey still wants to play! PLEASE?"

"No, Zoey," Ken sighed, gently picking up the Clefairy and placing her on the bed next to him. "If you push yourself too hard now, it'll just make things worse later."

Zoey let out a sigh, jumping back on top of Ken and lying down on top of his chest, her face inches from his. "Zoey is bored."

* * *

Chris clicked off the TV, finding nothing interesting on, only to hear a strange melody fill the air.

_What on earth is that sound? _Chris wondered, standing up and heading towards his door, Kyo on his shoulder and Jerry and Arch following close behind. He looked around the hallway, puzzlement visible on his face. _It sounds like its coming from Ken's room. _He made his way across the hall towards the room in question, pausing as the sound grew louder. Curious, he pulled open the door, only to be met with the most shocking sight of his life.

"Put your hands up! She's playin' my song! The butterflies melt away! Nodin' my head like yeah, wigglin' my hips like yeah! Put your hands up! She's playin' my song! It's a party in the USA!"

_The horror,_ Chris mentally groaned, wishing that he had just left the door closed. There was Ken, singing that Miley Cyrus song, dancing and shaking his hips while Zoey sat on the bed, looking delighted. Chris shook his head and laughed, thankful that Ken's voice had drowned it out, then noted absentmindedly that Ken, honestly, wasn't a bad singer.

"It's a party in the US-Ay-Ay!" Ken sang, his voice hitting the high notes perfectly. "It's a party in the-oh, hi Chris," Ken mumbled, noticing his friend for the first time. "Uh…how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Chris replied, causing the Mew hybrid to blush heavily.

"Uh, I was just…uh…" He stared at Chris for a moment, before offering the only explanation he had. "Zoey was bored."

"You should've told me you could sing," Chris laughed, much to Ken's surprise.

"Oh, here we go," Arch sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Take my advice Ken: RUN. Otherwise you'll end up singing _Life is a Highway_ in three part harmony." The Ralts shuttered slightly, as if reliving past memories best left forgotten.

"Oh, come on, Arch!" Chris sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not _that _bad!"

"Truthfully, it isn't your singing I'm worried about," the Ralts retorted, casting a glance over at Kyo, who was currently doubled over laughing from the sight of Ken's performance. _He sounds like a wounded animal, _Arch continued telepathically to Ken, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. _A wounded animal that for some reason wants us all to suffer with it._

Ken let out a laugh at this, a high pitched melodic sound. He'd had no idea that Arch had a sense of humor. The Ralts was always so quiet and serious.

He and Chris chatted for a while about the kinds of music they liked, which led to them having to explain to Sora that Rock didn't refer to a type, an object, a move, or an item that induced evolution. Shade had simply stated that Rock was one of many elemental types of music, leading to more questions from Sora and a headache for Ken. Zoey seemed to love music of any kind, though after Shade's explanation of music elemental types, Ken had to wonder if she really understood.

After an early dinner and bidding goodnight to Chris, Ken and his Pokémon headed to bed, planning to head to Bill's Cottage at Cerulean Cape the following morning.

* * *

"Ah, here we are," the Rocket Supervisor laughed, pulling out the light brown disk from between a pair of books nestled on a nearby bookshelf. He surveyed the area, noting that, in his haste, he had made a real mess of things. _Aw well, I've waited long enough. Surely that infuriating Mew Boy would have passed through long ago. Besides, it's not as if the authorities are particularly smart. _He smiled, releasing his Sandslash and placing the TM against its forehead. The Pokémon blinked as the disk was absorbed into its body, new information making its way to its brain. The Rocket laughed before issuing his command. "Dig."

* * *

Ken awoke with a yawn the next morning, thankful for the lack of any strange dreams the night before. Double checking for any changes, and finding none, Ken let out a sigh of relief, gently woke up his Pokémon, ate breakfast, and headed out of the Pokémon Center with Chris, eager to get going.

"What's that?" Chris asked, as they headed towards the edge of town. A set of DO NOT CROSS tape was spread around a nearby house, Officer Jenny standing out front, looking rather stressed.

Curious, the group slowly made their way towards the scene, careful not to get too close. Officer Jenny was shaking her head, her Growlithe nuzzling her leg sympathetically, a low whimper escaping his throat.

"Thanks Growlithe," she sighed, patting the canine Pokémon on the head.

The Growlithe tilted his head to the side, allowing his owner to scratch his ears, then paused, sniffing the air as a curious sent came towards him. The dog barked and began sniffing the ground furiously, before looking up and locking his eyes on Ken and Chris.

Officer Jenny followed the Pokémon's gaze, her eyes widening as she saw what he was staring at.

_Oh crap! _Ken thought to himself as the tiger striped puppy dashed over to him, sniffing at him curiously. "Stay!" he cried out desperately, not wishing to add turning into a Growlithe in front of the police to today's activities. To his surprise, the Pokémon stopped, cocking its head to the side in curiosity. _Ok…that's weird, _Ken thought, pretty sure that Growlithe were trained to only obey commands from their respective Officer Jenny. "Uhh…sit?" he tested, his surprise growing when the Pokémon immediately sat, eyes trained on him as if awaiting his next instruction. "Ok then, how about roll over?" Ken's mouth dropped open in disbelief as the dog lay down and rolled over before returning to his previous seated position.

Officer Jenny appeared to be equally confused. "Growlithe! Come!" she called, letting off a short whistle. The Pokémon's ears perked up and he trotted obediently to her side. She stared at him for a moment, eyes wide with disbelief, before turning to Ken, her expression one of anger. "All right, who are you, and why is it that my Growlithe obeys your instructions? And what's with that ridiculous Mew costume?"

"Costume?" Ken asked, ears twitching in confusion. _She actually thinks that this is a costume? _

"Yes, that silly Mew costume!" Officer Jenny repeated, arms crossed. "It's not Halloween you know! Come to think of it, I got a report from some local citizens that the "Mew Boy" had arrived here a couple days ago. Is this your idea of a joke? Getting the media all excited about the possible discovery of a new species of Pokémon?" Jenny demanded, an angry frown on her face. "That's it! Take that costume off right now or I'm writing you up for disturbing the peace!"

"Wh-what?" Ken sputtered, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Mew haven't done anything wrong! Besides, I _can't _take it off, it's kinda attached!" Ken tried franticly to explain. "_See_?" he asked, parting his hair so she could see his obvious lack of human ears.

Officer Jenny's eyes widened in disbelief. "What on earth…?" She stared hard at the teen's head, only to come to the conclusion that the boy had no ears…or at the very least, no ears where they _should_ be. She turned her attention to the pink fuzzy ears on top of Ken's head. "Are they…real?"

"Of course their real," Ken growled, tail twitching in irritation. "Why on earth would I dress up like a Mew?"

"I…I'm sorry," Officer Jenny quickly apologized, looking somewhat dazed. "I mean, I heard rumors about a Mew Boy running around, but I thought it was a stupid prank, nothing more."

"Believe Mew, I wish it _was _a prank," Ken sighed, ears drooping. "The fact is that-hey, I'm not a Mew Boy!" Ken growled, what she had said finally sinking in.

"Sorry," Officer Jenny sighed, one hand to her forehead. "I know I'm not in the best mood. This has just been one of those days…" She glanced over her shoulder at the house behind her, shaking her head.

"What happened?" Chris asked, following the woman's gaze.

"These poor people were robbed," she sighed, shaking her head sadly. "We believe it to be the work of Team Rocket."

Ken stiffened as he heard this, tail beginning to lash back and forth angrily. _What in the world are they up to now?_

"What was stolen?" Chris asked, casting a sympathetic glance in Ken's direction. The Mew hybrid had already had his share of trouble with the Rockets.

"That's the funny thing about it," Officer Jenny sighed, her mouth twisted into a thoughtful frown. "No money was stolen, nor anything of particular value. Just a TM for the move Dig. And here's where it gets really strange: the house was practically torn apart, and that TM was the only thing missing. It's as if whoever was responsible broke in with the intent to steal the Dig TM specifically. I just don't understand it." She put a hand to her forehead and held it there, as if trying to rid herself of a headache.

Growlithe whimpered, nuzzling her leg with his cold wet nose. "It's alright Master," he said, giving her a reassuring lick. "The scent is stale, it had to have happened late last night. There was nothing you could have done."

Ken nodded in agreement. After all, only a complete idiot would steal something in the middle of the day, and only a complete and total _moron_ would stick around at the scene of the crime.

"I know Growlithe," Jenny smiled, patting him on the head. "I just wish I'd seen it coming."

"Master, you're not a Psychic type," Growlithe replied, causing Jenny to laugh.

"Wait, so Mew can _understand_ him?" Ken asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Hah, no, not really," Jenny laughed, proceeding to scratch her Pokémon behind the ears. "It's just that we've been together so long, and have been working together for such a long time, that I can usually tell what he means. When you're in the line of work I am, it's important to be able to figure out what your Pokémon is trying to tell you. Failing to do so can literally mean the difference between life and death."

Ken nodded, newfound respect for the woman before him stirring inside of him. _I wonder…what would it be like to have to learn what your Pokémon is trying to say? _He looked over at Sora who was perched on his shoulder, and gave her a friendly pat on the head. _I couldn't imagine it. _

"So, you can understand Pokémon, right?" Officer Jenny asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "What's it like?"

"Honestly, Mew sounds like plain old English to me," Ken replied with a shrug. "I have to listen really hard to be able Mew tell the difference."

"I'm sure that must be wonderful," Officer Jenny replied dreamily, gazing fondly at her Growlithe. Glancing back at the house, she let out a long, tiered sigh. "Sorry, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm on duty and I really should be getting back to work."

Ken and Chris nodded, then bid their goodbyes and began heading north, towards Cerulean Cape, although one question was still fresh in their minds: what on earth would Team Rocket want with a Dig TM anyway?

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Mt. Moon, a certain Team Rocket member was currently instructing his Sandslash to use Dig, chuckling with glee as the Pokémon quickly broke through the layer of earth that had previously been impenetrable.

"Yes, that's it! Dig deeper! Deeper I say!"

The Sandslash sighed, pretty sure his Trainer had lost it since this Mew Boy business started. Using his claws, he proceeded to burrow into the earth, keeping a sharp eye out for the kind of rocks his master wanted.

The Rocket surveyed the Pokémon's work critically, waiting in anticipation for his efforts to bear fruit.

_The boss will have his Mew fossil, _he thought to himself, fist clenched. _Even if I have to dig up all of Mt. Moon to find it!_

Elsewhere in the cave, several frightened Pokémon scurried for cover, Team Rockets presence making them uneasy. A hiker shook his head in dismay.

"Brock's not gonna like this."

* * *

Author's Notes: Well it looks like Team Rocket is pretty determined to get their plan under way! I don't know about anyone else, but the fact that the Rocket from the Kanto games stole the Dig TM only to just _stand there_ in the middle of the day, in plain sight, **at the scene of the crime, **bugged me. Besides, what was the _point_ of stealing it in the first place? Then I wrote this fanfic, and it's like seeing the events of the games in a new light.

Anyway, hope everybody is enjoying my interpretations, and don't worry, more surprises are on the way! :)

Thanks everybody, and don't forget to review! :)


	28. Chapter 27: Oops, We Messed Up Again

Chapter 27: Oops, We Messed Up Again

A Rocket talent scout stood at the end of Nugget Bridge, instructing some naïve children on what to do should a Trainer come. After all, they needed all the fresh talent they could get. A few Nuggets to bribe unsuspecting youth was no big loss.

"So, when do we get to jump the Trainers and steal all their Pokémon?" a red headed woman behind him asked, her eyes full of greed.

"I'll bet the kids are supposed to tire them out first, then we swoop in with a net and grab them!" her partner, a man with short blue hair, added.

"Then we send da Pokémon to da boss!" a Meowth added, in perfect English, his eyes gleaming.

The Rocket scout face palmed, recalling the _last _Trainers he'd managed to recruit, and still hadn't managed to get rid of. "Shhh! The kids will hear you! And for the _last time,_ we're not stealing any Pokémon! We're recruiting new members!" he growled, causing the trio to back away slowly.

The blue haired man turned to his partner, a look of puzzlement on his face. "But Jessie, why are we here in the first place? Doesn't this take place in a different universe than the anime?"

"Shut up James!" she shouted, looking ready to beat him to a pulp. "We were in Pokémon Yellow, remember?"

The man looked skeptical. "Yes, but wasn't Pokémon Yellow _based_ on the anime?"

"Quit breakin' da fourth wall!" Meowth growled, scratching the faces of both of his teammates. James backed away slowly as Jessie prepared to give the cat the beating of a lifetime, when the Pokémon in question jumped up and began pointing excitedly. "Look! Somebody's comin'!"

The two turned in the direction Meowth was pointing, eyes widening at what they saw. Two teenage boys were now walking up Nugget Bridge, one of which was sporting a pair of pink ears and a tail.

The Rocket scout groaned. What in the world was that Mew Boy doing here? He should have been on his way to Vermillion _days_ ago! He could blow the entire operation!

"What's that?" James asked, scratching his head.

"Looks kinda like a Mew ta me," Meowth replied, equally confused.

"Who cares?" Jessie exclaimed, looking triumphant. "He has Pokémon with him, _and _he's part Pokémon! Jackpot! Two-For-One Special!" she proclaimed, causing her teammates to sigh.

The Rocket scout furrowed his brow, sweat beginning to drip down the back of his neck. _Ok, just stay calm. All I have to do is withdraw our forces for now, let the stupid Mew Boy pass, and thus, avoid blowing an operation years in the making-_

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

_Oh, for the love of God, no! _the Rocket scout moaned, eyes wide with panic.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

Ken stared at the man, woman, and Meowth who had appeared in front of him, a look of confusion on his face. The Mew hybrid stared at the three of them for a moment before slowly, quietly, beginning to clap, Chris joining in shortly after.

"Uhh…thank Mew for the show, but I'm not really in Mew mood right now. I think Mew might want to come up with a different routine; with all that's been going on, nobody's gonna wanna see Team Rocket impersonators."

"_Impersonators?" _Jessie growled, teeth and fists clenched. "I'll have you know that we are one hundred percent genuine members of Team Rocket!"

"They're from Team Rocket?" the children from Nugget Bridge asked, mouths dropping open.

_Just great, _the Rocket scout sighed, as all the children ran away, shouting that Team Rocket was on Nugget Bridge. _Could this day POSSIBLY__get any worse?_

The trio watched as the strange Mew Boy began to laugh, a strange melodic sound. "Look, I've encountered Team Rocket before, and Mew guys are _nothing_ like the real deal!" He turned to the Bulbasaur on his shoulder and began speaking to it in Pokémon language. "Right Sora?"

"Uh-huh! These guys are funny!" Sora agreed with a laugh.

"_Funny_?" Meowth growled, tail brisling, before his eyes lit up. "Uh…dats right! We're street performers and I'm da star attraction: da worlds only talking Pokémon!" He did a back flip before landing and striking a pose between his two teammates, who looked at him like he'd lost it. "Play along," he whispered to them, an evil glint in his eye. "If we can get him ta trust us, we can take him and all his Pokémon back to da boss!"

Jessie and James looked at each other for a moment before big smiles broke out on their faces.

"Of course!" James added, waving his arms dramatically. "We do everything from singing to dancing to impressions of famous people and organizations!"

"_Really?_" Ken asked, looking like a kid on a trip to the circus. "Can Mew sing _Old McDonald Had a Farm_? That would be HILLARIOUS!"

"Uh…" Jessie, James, and Meowth began, noticing the teen's disappointed expression.

"Old McDonald had a farm," Jessie sang in a low monotone, sounding very embarrassed.

"Eh-iy-eh-iy-oh," James, continued, already feeling his face turning red.

"And on this farm he had a…" Jesse and James began, only to pause, at a loss for words.

"Meowth!" Meowth shouted, much to his friend's relief.

"Eh-iy-eh-iy-oh," Jessie and James continued, trying to ignore the laughter of Ken, Chris, Sora, and, most unfortunately, the Rocket scout.

"With a Meow Meow here, and da Meow Meow dere!" Meowth sighed, beginning to do a little dance. "Here a Meow! Dere a Meow! Everywhere a Meow Meow!"

"Old McDonald had a farm," Jessie and James continued, feeling their dignity disserting them like so many opportunities in their lives. "Eh-iy-eh-iy-oh-ohhhhhhh!" Jessie cringed as James went off key on the last note, glaring daggers at the blue haired man, who only shrugged sheepishly.

They looked up as the sound of clapping began to fill the air: real, genuine clapping. They turned to see that the Mew Boy currently had tears in his eyes, laughing so hard it looked like he couldn't breathe. Several other people had gathered, all of them clapping and cheering and looking like they were having a great time.

"They love us!" Jessie exclaimed, eyes starry. "Finally, my time in the spot light!"

"Maybe we could make a carrier of this!" James agreed, offering a small bow to some kids who squealed in delight. "But, aren't we forgetting something?"

"Who cares? Give da people what dey want!" Meowth cheered, taking his position between his teammates.

"Old McDonald had a farm! Eh-iy-eh-iy-oh!"

"Do you think we left enough money for them?" Ken asked, as the group continued on their way to Cerulean Cape.

"Well, their manager seemed happy. Last I looked, he was already scooping up the money into his pockets and muttering something about, "At least these three are good for something."

Ken nodded, glad to have gotten the time to have some fun. As he tilted his head to the side, he could just make out the sound of the nice group of street performers, singing _Old McDonald Had a Farm _for a crowd of people.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yeah, I just couldn't resist putting Jessie, James, and Meowth into this fanfic at least once. XD Whether they'll show up again at a later time I'm not sure, it really depends on how this goes. How does everybody feel about that? Do you think that they should? That they shouldn't? Let me know! :) Also, I know this chapter was pretty short and not a lot happened, but things will pick up next chapter, and it should start to get interesting. Also, I know people were expecting Ken to meet Bill this chapter, but like I said, I couldn't resist! XD Don't worry, I plan on updating again soon, and big things are on their way, including another set of paired chapters! :)

Thanks for reading everybody! :)


	29. Chapter 28: If You Like Lum Berry Soda

Chapter 28: If You Like Lum Berry Soda, and Getting Caught in the Rain

"Ok Sora! Use Vine Whip!"

"Dodge it Kyo!"

Sora nodded, extending her vines towards the Larvitar, who just managed to jump out of the way at the last second.

On their way to Cerulean Cape, Chris had decided that it would be a good idea to work on Ken's battling skills in case they ran into Team Rocket again. Jerry, Arch, Shade, and Zoey watched the battle from the sidelines, carefully evaluating the competitor's strengths, or in Zoey's case, cheering excitedly.

Kyo was just about to use Rock Throw when a drop of water landed on his head. Pausing, he glanced up at the sky, where several storm clouds had already gathered.

"Aww, I was winning!"

"You were not!" Sora retaliated, glaring at the little lizard.

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Enough!" Ken growled, tail twitching in irritation. "Chris, how much further is it to Cerulean Cape anyway?"

"Uhh…not too far now, I think," Chris replied, glancing at the map, then sighing as he realized that he'd been holding it upside down.

"Were lost, aren't we?" Ken asked with a groan, ears drooping.

"No, I know exactly where we are!" Chris insisted with a wave of his hand. "Trust me! I'll have us to Cerulean Cape before it really starts raining!"

There was a clap of thunder and the rain began to pour, causing Ken to cast an irritated glare at Chris, who shrugged sheepishly.

"Can't we just Teleport there?" Ken asked, as he returned Shade and Zoey to their Pokeballs and Chris returned Jerry and Kyo.

Arch calmly shook his head. "No. I have never been to Cerulean Cape before. If I don't know _exactly _where I'm going, I could get us stuck in a wall. Or worse." He turned to Chris, an irritated expression on his face. "I'm getting wet."

"Sorry!" Chris apologized, returning his friend to his Pokeball.

"But, you had Arch Teleport us back at Mt. Moon-hey! Are you telling me that I could have ended up stuck in a wall?"

Chris nodded, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry Ken, but what was I supposed to do? Team Rocket was after us, so I took a chance!"

Ken glared at his friend, ears flattening against his skull. "Is that why the Teleportation was so rough?"

"No, it's always rough the first few times until your body gets used to it. That's really the least of your worries when it comes to Teleportation."

Ken stared long and hard at Chris before sighing. "I don't even wanna know." He held up Sora's Pokeball, who looked at him like he'd just kissed a stick again, then put it away with a sigh. _Someday I'm really gonna need to convince her that there's nothing wrong with going inside a Pokeball,_ Ken thought, image of a Venusaur perched on his shoulder, himself straining under her weight, popping into his head.

The trio took off running as the rain began to come down harder, hoping that their destination wasn't too far off. A few minutes later, a small cottage came into view.

"Please tell me that's where Bill lives?" Ken begged, arms over his head in an effort to keep the rain out of his ears.

"Well, if it isn't, we can always ask for directions!" Chris replied, as the group headed towards the house.

Ken paused at the door, noticing several strange markings were carved into it, along with the images of Pokémon. He frowned as he spotted a Pokémon that looked very similar to Mew, only more muscular with a strange tube attached to its neck.

_What kind of Pokémon is that? _he wondered, flicking his ears as several drops of water hit them. Pushing the thought to the side, he knocked loudly on the door.

"Come in!" a voice answered, although no one came to open the door.

Shrugging, Ken pushed the door open and walked inside the cottage, eager to get out of the rain. Chris sighed as he examined his drenched coat, hoping that the water hadn't ruined it. He let out a chuckle as he spotted Ken a few inches from him, shaking himself off not unlike a cat. Releasing Jerry from his Pokeball, Chris asked if the Fire Mouse could, _carefully_, help them dry out their clothes.

The Cyndaquil nodded, the flames on his back igniting, producing a small, controlled, amount of fire.

After a few minutes of warming up and getting themselves at least half way dry, the group proceeded to glance around the room, seeing no one there.

The room was full of science equipment, and Ken felt a little uneasy being alone with all of it. He felt like he was in a mad scientist's lab.

_This is nothing Ken,_ a voice in his head spoke, sounding grave. Spinning around, Ken once again saw nothing.

_Ok, this place is giving me the creeps, _Ken shuddered, backing away from a set of computers. _Just who lives here, anyway? _

"Oh, there you are!" a Clefairy laughed, poking his head out from behind some lab equipment. "I'd offer you a cup of hot chocolate, but I can't reach the microwave!"

"That's fine…" Ken replied uncertainly. There was something funny about this Clefairy, but he just couldn't put his finger on what it was. Suddenly, one of his Pokeballs shook and Zoey appeared in a flash of light, looking around the room excitedly. "Zoey, you're supposed to be taking it _easy_!" Ken sighed, as she scampered over to the other Clefairy, only to step back, a look of confusion on her face.

"Ken, this isn't a Clefairy!" she squeaked, pointing dramatically at the other Pokémon. "Zoey can tell!"

"Huh? What are you talking about Zoey?" Ken asked, walking towards the other Clefairy. "He looks like a normal Clefairy to me."

"Actually, your friends right, I'm not a Pokémon," the other Clefairy laughed, causing Zoey to shoot Ken an "I-Told-You-So" look. "Names Bill! I'm a true blue Pokémaniac!"

"See! Zoey was right! Zoey was right!" Zoey cried, jumping up and down excitedly, only to wince seconds later.

"Zoey, for the last time, I told you-" he paused, something finally clicking. This Clefairy wasn't speaking in third person like other Clefairy did. In fact, as Ken paid closer attention, he realized that it wasn't using Pokespeak at all; it was talking to him in _English_. "You're Bill?" Ken asked, a look of astonishment on his face.

"That's right!" the Clefairy agreed, walking over towards one of the machines. "See, I was trying out my new Teleportation machine, but it seems that there was some Clefairy hair left inside the machine from when I tested it on a Pokémon, _successfully_, I might add, and my genes got, well, spliced."

Ken blinked, scenes from the movie, _The Fly_ popping into his head.

"See what I mean," Chris whispered to Ken, causing the Mew hybrid to shudder. Immediately he understood why Arch had declined Teleporting them to the destination.

"Don't worry!" Bill continued, seeing the expressions on the teen's faces. "I've been working night and day on a way to fix this, and I think I've finally found a solution!" Bill hopped over to a computer in front of the two Teleportation machines and pointed towards the screen. "All I have to do is hit that switch, and it will initiate the cell separation sequence. That, hopefully, will return me to normal!"

"_Hopefully_?" Ken asked, looking rather skeptical.

"Well, I should hope so! I've been stuck like this for _five days_!" Bill cried out, sounding beyond frustrated. "Can you imagine how hard it is to live as a Pokémon?"

"I've got a guess," Ken replied, recalling all the times he'd turned into a Pokémon. Suddenly his eyes brightened. "Hey, this machine! Could it-"

"Change me back, hopefully." Bill replied, interrupting Ken. "Actually, I finished it about an hour ago, but I can't work it by myself!" he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "Somebody needs to press that switch when I'm inside the Teleporter," Bill explained, motioning towards the computer monitor. He turned back to Ken, looking rather helpless. "Care to help me out?"

"Sure, I'd be glad to!" Ken replied, tail twitching eagerly. _If this works, I might finally be able to become normal! _he thought, the very idea of being a normal human being causing a purr to threaten to escape his throat. _This could be the answer I've been looking for!_

"Thanks buddy!" Bill exclaimed, hurrying towards one of the Teleportation pods. "Just flip the switch when I'm inside!"

Once Bill had stepped inside, Ken looked at the computer, confusion immediately bombarding him. _What in the world do all the buttons do? _he wondered, scratching his head. _Let's see…I think this is the one Bill was talking about…_

Ken jumped as the Teleportation machine lit up, emitting several strange lights and sounds. Hoping to God that he hadn't just killed Bill, Ken waited in anticipation of the outcome.

Lights flashed as the machine sprung to life. There was a low hum, and then the second teleportation pod blinked, indicating that the process was complete.

Biting his lip, Ken cautiously approached the machine, fearing the worst.

The door on the teleportation machine slowly opened, revealing a young man with short brown hair who looked extremely grateful.

Climbing out of the machine, Bill turned to Ken, a huge grin on his face. "Thanks pal, I needed that!"

Zoey stared at the spectacle, eyes practically popping out of her head. "The Clefairy really _was_ a human!" she gasped, clearly shocked.

"That's right, and one very grateful human at that!" Bill laughed, then a thoughtful frown crossed his face. "Say something again please?"

Zoey stared at Bill blankly for a minute, then shrugged. "Ok, umm…pickles?" she ventured, causing Ken to face palm.

"This is amazing!" Bill exclaimed, rushing over to his computer, leaving everyone to wonder just what was so exciting about pickles. "I mean, sure, it's obviously just a side effect of the gene splicing, and who knows how long it will last, but this could be a huge breakthrough!"

The group watched, puzzled, as Bill began to furiously type away at his computer, clearly excited.

"Ken, is he crazy?" Zoey asked, inching towards her Trainer and clinging to his leg.

"Quite possibly!" Bill laughed, not bothering to look up from the computer. "But at this point, I don't really care! This is too great an opportunity to pass up!"

Ken's eyes widened as it finally dawned on him that Bill could understand Zoey, which was obviously the cause of his current joy. But did that apply to all Pokémon, or just Clefairy?

"So, you can understand Pokémon now?" Ken asked in Pokespeak, both as a test to see if Bill would understand, and for conformation to his question.

"Seems that way," Bill agreed, not glancing up from his computer. "Of course, I'll still need to run a few tests…" he paused, turned around, and stared at Ken as if seeing him for the first time. "Well, you're part Pokémon yourself, aren't you? Have you been using Pokespeak this whole time?" Ken nodded, causing the Pokémaniac to break out in a huge grin. "This is fantastic! There are so many things I'd like to ask you!"

"Well, that's great and all, but you see-"

"Oh where are my manners? Let's go in the other room, shall we? You obviously don't want to stand around my lab equipment all day!"

As much as it irritated him that he wasn't getting any answers to his questions, Ken had to admit that being around all the strange gadgets and gizmos _was_ making him a bit uneasy. With a nod, he followed Bill into the next room, ignoring the chill that was running up his spine.

One of the first things Ken took notice about the room, was the presence of Pokémon. A red and yellow fluffy fox like Pokémon was curled up in front of the fireplace, despite the fact that there was no fire, sleeping peacefully. A blue fox like creature with the tail of a mermaid sat at the windowsill, staring longingly at the pouring rain. What appeared to be cross between a fox and a porcupine lay sprawled out on the couch, its yellow head appearing to be resting on a pillow, but when it rolled over Ken could see that the quills had actually punctured the fabric, causing the pillow to move with it.

"Bill! You're ok!"

Ken looked down to see a small brown fox like Pokémon staring up at the Pokémaniac, its huge brown eyes overflowing with adoration. With a squeal of delight, the little Pokémon playfully jumped into Bill's arms and began nuzzling him affectionately.

The blue fox on the windowsill turned at the sound of the smaller Pokémon's announcement, looking slightly startled. "Bill? Oh, you are here! Splendid!" with a happy yip, he dashed over and began nuzzling his owners leg, his closing as he received a pat on the head in return.

The fluffy fox by the fireplace lazily opened one eye, then the other, and quickly scrambled to its feet, still looking a bit drowsy. "Huh…? Bill…?" Blinking several times, his sleepy look was replaced by one of excitement. "Bill's back!" he cried, dashing over to his friend and plopping down at his friends feet, tail beginning to wag as Bill began to rub his tummy, like you would a dog's.

The porcupine fox snapped awake, ears twitching, looking like it was hyped up on ten cans of Mountain Dew. "Bill's back? Where? Where's Bill? I don't see Bill!" he chattered, head darting about so quickly that he actually managed to skip over the man several times. "Pyro if this is one of your tricks, I swear I'm going to-oh." Finally spotting his owner, he didn't hesitate to dash over to the man's side, not caring that the pillow was still stuck to his head.

"Calm down Sparky!" Bill laughed, gently detaching the pillow from his Pokémon's head. "I'm fine! Really!" He glanced at his four Pokémon, a huge smile finding its way to his face. "In fact, I'm better than ever! It seems that the experiment had the unforeseen side effect of allowing me to understand Pokémon!" The four Pokémon began talking at once clearly excited, causing the Pokémaniac to laugh once more. "Of course, that really wasn't what I was _trying _to do…" he admitted with a shrug. "Aw well, as they say, all the best discoveries happened by accident!" Bill paused, noticing his guests standing there as if unsure of what to do. "Oh where are my manners today?" Turning to the red fox, he said, "Pyro, why don't you get the fireplace lit for us?"

"Of course Bill!" the fluffy Pokémon laughed, scampering over to the fireplace and igniting it with a Flamethrower, much to Ken's surprise.

"Pyro's a Flareon," Bill explained, noticing Ken's startled expression. "This is Rainer, a Vaporeon, and Sparky, a Jolteon," he explained, motioning towards the mermaid and porcupine. "They're all evolutions of Eevees like Mikey," he continued, patting the small brown fox perched on his shoulder.

Ken's eyes widened. "_All_ of them?"

Bill nodded. "That's right. You see, Eevee is a very unique species of Pokémon, capable of evolving into one of a number of different forms, each with a different type. Currently, Water, Electric, Fire, Psychic, Dark, Grass, and Ice evolutions have been discovered, with the possibility of there being many more."

"Wow," Ken muttered, speechless. "All of that from this tiny little thing?" he asked, pointing towards Mikey, whose fur bristled in response.

"Hey! Don't treat me like some little kid!" the Eevee growled, ears lying back. He jumped out of Bill's arms, fluffing out his fur so as to make himself appear bigger than he actually was. "I can evolve any time I want! I just don't want to!"

"Don't mind Mikey," Bill laughed, patting the irritated Eevee on the head. "For some reason, he just doesn't want to evolve. It doesn't bother him, and it doesn't bother me, but people do tend to treat him differently than Rainer, Pyro, and Sparky. The four of them came from the same litter, believe it or not. They're brothers."

"Really? But Mikey seems so much younger than the other three," Ken blurted out before he had the chance to think better about it.

With an angry growl, the little Eevee launched himself at Ken and sank his fangs into the Mew hybrids tail.

"Ahhh!" Ken cried out in pain in surprise, leaping into the air, the Eevee still dangling from his tail. "Get him off! Get him off!" he cried, running around the room with the little fox still attached, much to the evolved Eevee's amusement.

"Mikey! Down! Let go of him!" Bill scolded, sighing as the little ball of fur continued to ignore him.

At that moment, Ken began to feel an all too familiar tingling sensation. Brown fur sprouted, his ears elongated, his tail became short and bushy, causing the Eevee to let go with a squeak of surprise. Within seconds, Ken was an Eevee.

"Not again," Chris sighed, slapping his forehead with a groan.

"This happens a lot?" Bill inquired, clearly confused as to what just happened.

"Yep! Sometimes twice a day!" Sora replied with a laugh.

"Ok Ken," Chris sighed, taking a step towards the Mew Boy turned Eevee who regarded him with a smile, "go ahead and-"

"Ken will play with Zoey?" the tiny Clefairy squealed, rushing over to her friend and clapping her hands excitedly.

Chris sighed and waited for Ken's predictable explanation that she was supposed to be _resting_…only that explanation never came.

"Sure! Let's go play!" Ken squealed, dashing off excitedly, pausing once to glance over his shoulder as if inviting the Clefairy to come and chase him.

"YAY!" Zoey shrieked, running after the Eevee, only to have the game interrupted by Chris picking up the Transformed Ken, much to Zoey's dismay.

"Ken, what are you doing?" the Rigigigas hybrid asked, regarding his friend with confusion. "Zoey needs to rest _remember_? You said so yourself!"

The little Eevee blinked. "I did?"

"Yes, of course you did!" Chris sighed, not sure why Ken was acting so strange. _Could this have something to do with his transformation into a Pokémon? _"Ken, are you feeling all right?" he asked, concerned.

Ken frowned, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Fine. Why?" He shook his bushy tail and giggled, sounding very childish. "Do you wanna play with me too? Huh, huh, huh?"

Sparky snickered. "He sounds like an Eevee kit! Hey!" he turned and glared at Rainer, who had just smacked him upside the head with his tail.

"Be nice Brother, we were all like that at one point," the Vaporeon stated calmly, ignoring the sparking of static electricity coming off of the angry Jolteon.

_He's acting like an Eevee? _Chris wondered, turning back to the Transformed Mew hybrid in his arms. _Man, I gotta snap him out of it! _"Come on Ken, FOCUS!" Chris demanded, giving his friend a gentle shake. "You're not an Eevee! You're a Mew hybrid, remember? Come on, I know you're in there!"

The Eevee blinked in confusion. Why was this strange pale person yelling at him? _Who is this guy? Wait, I think I've seen him before…Carl? No, that wasn't it…Chad? No, not that either…_ The little Eevee closed his eyes, begging the memory to come to the surface. _Chris? Yes, that was it! His name is Chris! _Ken's eyes widened as memories came flooding back to him, then quickly began to reverse the Transformation.

"Whoa!" the Rigigigas hybrid cried out as he let go of the rapidly changing Mew hybrid in his arms. "You might warn me when your gonna do that…" he began, stopping when he noticed his friends terrified expression. "Ken? Are you alright?" he asked, gently placing a hand on the teen's shoulder.

"My Transformations aren't usually like that," Ken whispered, so quietly that Chris had to strain to hear him. "No…that's not true, there was that other time… the time I first Transformed into a Rattata."

The Jolteon snorted. "Nervous little things, aren't they? Panic at everything they see!"

"Yes," Ken agreed, causing the Vaporeon to stop mid tail slap.

"Hmm…" Bill pondered, putting one hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe some Transformations are harder for you to control than others." His face brightened, and he snapped his fingers. "Yes! I'll bet that's it! Some Pokémon's natural instincts may override your better judgment!"

Ken turned to Bill, eyes pleading. "Which kinda brings me to why we came here in the first place. I need your help."

Bill nodded. "You helped me. I'll do everything that I can."

"What do you know about Mew?"

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, it looks like Bill retained a tiny portion of Pokémon DNA! Good news for Ken, I suppose. By the way, am I the only one who was bothered by the fact that you never actually _see_ the Pokémon come out of the other Teleporter? Honestly, if it was spliced with Bill, as is implied, and it _never shows up_, doesn't that mean that it was…er…"eliminated" when he returned to normal? Seriously, I like my explanation that it was just a sample of Clefairy DNA that he got combined with rather than the whole Pokémon much better. :)

Also, this is the start of another set of paired chapters for all you readers! It's been awhile, hasn't it? Well, I really didn't see the point in making everybody wait, and these chapters fit together _so_ well. :) So go ahead and click that next button for more…after you hit the review button first, of course. ^_^


	30. 29: If You Like Reading Until Midnight

Chapter 29: If You Like Reading Until Midnight

Ken lay in his bed, flashlight in hand, listening to the gentle patter of rain outside. Bill had been very generous, and insisted that, with the storm brewing, they all stay the night. He glanced over at his Pokémon at the foot of the bed, happy that they could sleep so easily. Not that he blamed them; rain always made him tired. Shaking his head, he turned to the thick leather bound book in front of him, an ancient looking drawing of Mew adorning the front cover.

_"I have plenty of books on Mew," Bill explained, motioning over towards a large bookshelf. "Everything I learned about Mew, I learned it there." He skimmed the shelf, fingers dancing from book to book, before finally settling on a particularly thick item. "Here. What you're looking for should be right here." He handed the book to Ken, then laughed. "And if it's not, there's a whole shelf of books you can turn to!" _

_"Uh…thanks, I think," Ken replied as Bill handed him the book, struggling briefly under its weight. _Since when are books this heavy? _he wondered, carrying the book over to a table and setting it down with a thud. _

_Bill laughed. "You can read that later! Right now I think it's time that you, your friend, and your Pokémon had a break!" _

_Ken nodded, promising himself that he would read it later when he was alone and it was quiet. _

Of course, now that he actually _was_ alone, he found himself struggling to keep his eyes open. _Well, it's not like I have to read all of it tonight. _

With a sigh, Ken flipped open the book to the table of contents, and groaned. It seemed the book covered just about everything you wanted to know about Mew, could know about Mew, or really didn't need to know about Mew. Indeed, there were things like biology, physiology, diet, abilities, habitat, origin theories, usable moves, history, mythology, behavior, and all manner of other things, both useful, not useful, and sometimes, just plain weird.

_Well, better get reading,_ he thought to himself with a sigh, flipping the book open to the first page.

_Chapter 1: Physiology _

_Mew is a pink cat like creature, with large hind legs, resembling that of a rabbit, with three toes on each foot, as well as short arms complete with three fingered paws. Mew has a long skinny tail, which ends in a slightly larger, rounded tip. Mew's eyes are large, blue, and, apparently, function similar to the eyes of other cat like species, taking in more light than would normally be available. Though a Mew's tongue is believed to possess bristles for grooming purposes, it is unlikely that it would need to do so very often, as its fur is so fine and thin that individual hairs may only be viewed under a microscope. However, this fur is also believed to be quite delicate, so frequent grooming may be needed in order to insure cleanliness. The subject of Mew's grooming habits needs more study. _

_At first glance, Mew appears to be undeniably feline, yet some scholars believe that it may in fact be closer to a form of primitive life form, or perhaps THE primitive life form-an embryo. Indeed, drawings of Mew often depict it encased in a transparent pink bubble, which many biologists claim is representative of a womb, with the tail resembling an umbilical cord. It is said that this is symbolic of its status as "The ancestor of Pokémon," though, as these are simply artist's renditions of the creature, this theory is often scoffed at. (See Chapter 87: Origin Theories, for more information) If anything, Mew does closely resemble a feline, so for the sake of simplicity, this book will go with the more generally accepted theory that Mew is, in fact, a cat. _

_However, Mew does, admittedly, have several characteristics that separate it from other feline species. The first, most obvious, is Mew's status as a biped and its method of locomotion. Mew's arms are clearly too short to support its body, and Mew's posture indicates that it is far more suited to life as a biped. However, Mew does not walk, but instead, floats via psychic energy. This gives rise to another question: can Mew walk? Some scientists claim that such a creature would find walking impossible, due to having such large feet and such short legs. Others state that Mew would not __**walk**__, but rather, would __**hop**__, much like a kangaroo. Still others say that even if Mew were __**capable**__ of walking, it would be unable to due to muscle deterioration caused by never using its legs. Whatever the case may be, never has a Mew been heard of to move about using its legs. _

Ken looked up from the book, eyes wide with terror. _Just great, so now you're telling me that I might lose the use of my legs?_ _**And**__ I might start engaging in frequent grooming? _Ken let out a heavy sigh, beginning to wonder if these things were really things he _wanted_ to know.

With a sigh, he kept reading.

_Mew also seems to lack claws, or in fact, nails of any kind. How then, does Mew use moves that would seemingly require the possession of claws, such as Shadow Claw? The answer may lie in Mew's incredible ability to Transform, as evidenced by the fact that it can learn Steel Wing despite not having any wings, or in fact, any TM move imaginable. One must also take into account how TMs affect a Pokémon's brain. Mew, being a highly intelligent Pokémon of which little is known, may react differently to them in comparison to other Pokémon. Supporters of this theory are often challenged by the fact that, if the Trainer is unable to find a TM, these moves and more may be taught "the old fashioned way." As such, this topic needs more study. (See Chapter 62: Usable Moves, for more information)_

_However, this is a subject for later on, so let us turn back to the topic at hand: Mew's lack of claws. This lack indicates that Mew does not need such things to protect itself, and like Skitty, has adapted other ways to protect itself. _

Ken had no idea what a Skitty was, but given the context, could only assume that it was some kind of cat like Pokémon. The fact that Mew had no claws didn't sit right with him for some reason, though he wasn't sure why.

He wanted to keep reading, but at this point he was feeling pretty tiered, the sound of the rain outside beginning to lull him to sleep like a comforting lullaby…

The strange dreams returned that night, their sudden return startling him. He hadn't had a strange dream in so long, he'd hoped that he'd seen the last of them.

Yet here they were, back again, more real and vivid than ever. Ken was flying over the ocean, the wind blowing through his fur…fur?

_I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by now, _Ken sighed, realizing that he was a Mew once more.

_No, you really shouldn't, _a voice nearby chuckled, nearly startling him out of his skin.

Ken sighed. _I shouldn't be surprised that you're here either, huh? _

_That would be wise, although I must admit, it is amusing to see your reaction, _the voice laughed, causing Ken to let out an angry hiss. The blurry figure sighed, and floated over to him, and Ken backed away, eyeing it cautiously. _There's no reason to be afraid of me, Ken. We're…quite similar, you and I. _

_You don't know the first thing about me! _Ken growled, tail lashing back and forth.

The figure sighed. _Your mother's name is Rika, your father is a Mew, you have an oversized stuffed Snorlax in your attic, your Pokémon's names are Sora, Shade, and Zoey, and you love sweet foods to the point of obsession. Is that about right? _he laughed, seemingly enjoying Ken's growing fear.

_Has this guy been spying on me? _Ken wondered, a cold chill running down his spine.

_I don't need to spy,_ the figure laughed, startling Ken. _You don't guard your thoughts very well. Besides, I've known about you…for a long time now. _

_WHO ARE YOU? _Ken demanded, eyes wide with fright.

_A friend, or perhaps an enemy, _the voice replied with a cruel laugh. _You make the call. _

And with that, the voice vanished, leaving Ken shaking with terror.

Ken awoke with a start, breathing heavily, surprised that he hadn't awakened his Pokémon. With a sigh, Ken rolled over, and attempted to calm down, only to feel something small and scratchy against his face.

_What the heck?_ he wondered, picking up the offending object, eyes widening as he recognized what it was: a fingernail. Quickly checking his bed, he found nine others strewn about, leading him to make one, awful conclusion. "Oh crap."

Quickly making his way out of the room, he glanced around to make sure that no one had heard him, then quietly snuck his way to Bill's bathroom.

Clicking on the light, Ken began to examine his hands, only to have his fears confirmed: his fingernails had fallen out.

_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! _he thought to himself in a panic, then recalled what he'd read last night. _Crap! The stupid book was right! _

"Ken?" Ken froze as he heard Bill's voice outside the door. "Ken, is that you? Are you ok?"

"F-fine," Ken sputtered, trying to keep his voice from shaking. _He's never gonna believe that, _Ken thought with a sigh.

"Well, not now I won't," Bill laughed, causing Ken to wish that his thoughts could just for once stay _his_ thoughts. "What's wrong Ken?"

Ken sighed, realizing that there was no way of avoiding it now. "My fingernails fell out."

"What?" Bill asked, sounding puzzled. "What do you mean they fell out? Did you maybe-"

"No," Ken growled, frustrated that his new friend wasn't getting it. "I mean they _fell out_. As in the _whole thing. _As in _all of them_," he explained, extremely slowly, so that the Pokémaniac would understand.

"All of them as in, _all of them_?" Bill asked, making Ken wonder if the science geek was in fact, that smart. "Your toenails too?"

"Bill don't be stupid," Ken growled, tired of explaining the situation to him. "I never had any-oh." Ken paused, realizing for the first time how silly a little thing like losing his fingernails was compared to some of the other things that had already happened, especially considering that he never even _had _toenails to begin with. _I need a vacation, _the Mew hybrid thought to himself with a nervous chuckle.

"Um…are you ok?" Bill asked, sounding worried.

"Yeah," Ken sighed, shoving his discarded fingernails into the trashcan. "Between the strange dreams I've been having, all these changes, and your book, I think I'm a little on edge lately."

"Well, I think I've got just the thing!" Bill laughed, sounding to be in a very good mood. "Come on, I'll show you!"

Ken heard rapid footsteps, and decided that he might as well see what it was that Bill was so excited about. Opening the door, he followed the sounds of footsteps to find the man rummaging through his desk drawer, clearly in search of something.

"Now where is-ah! Here it is!" he cried out triumphantly, pulling out a ticket of some sort. "This outta…" he paused, staring at Ken as if seeing him for the first time. "Well, that's interesting! Tell me, do you actually feel these changes take place, or is it more like a treasure hunt the next morning?" Bill asked, looking like a kid about to open his first Christmas present.

"Uh…more like a treasure hunt, though I certainly wouldn't use _that_ to describe it," Ken replied bitterly, tail flicking in irritation. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Bill replied, now staring hard at Ken's face. "So, can you see better now, or is it pretty much the same?"

"Well, I'd say-wait, what?" Ken asked, completely lost. "How in the world does my fingernails falling out help my eyesight?"

"You didn't notice?" Bill asked, looking surprised, then a grin broke out on his face. "Oh well! If anything, that just goes to show how well you're adjusting to all of this!" he laughed, rummaging through the desk drawer again and pulling out a small hand mirror. "Take a look! I'd say it's quite remarkable really."

With the sinking feeling that he wasn't going to like this, Ken reluctantly took the hand mirror from Bill, and looked at his reflection. "OH CRAP!"

Ken was so surprised, he nearly dropped the mirror. His eyes were the biggest, bluest eyes ever seen on a human; the color unnaturally bright, and the eyes themselves big enough so that they looked a bit disproportional to his face.

"Amazing huh?" Bill asked, clearly not understanding Ken's distress.

"_Amazing? _I look like one of those cartoon characters whose eyes are too big for their face!" Ken growled, tail lashing about in fear and anger.

"Your eyes look fine to me," Bill replied with a shrug, earning himself a glare from a very angry Mew hybrid.

"_Fine? _This is _horrible!" _Ken sighed, turning back to stare at his reflection once more.

"Ken, you're blowing this whole thing _way_ out of proportion," Bill sighed, trying to comfort the very freaked out Mew hybrid. "Trust me, they're nowhere _near _as big as you think they are!"

Ken paused, considering what Bill had to say. "Really?"

"Of course!" Bill promised with a wave of his hand. "Nobody else is even gonna notice!"

"Morning guys," Chris greeted as he walked into the room, then paused. "Ken, did you change again? Your eyes look bigger."

Ken glared at Bill, who simply shrugged. "Ok, let me rephrase that: Nobody who doesn't already know you is gonna notice!"

Ken stared hard at Bill, his right ear twitching a couple of times. "That's because they wouldn't know what I looked like before! How can they notice my eyes have changed if they've never even _seen me _before?"

"Um…you should be grateful then!" Bill laughed, earning another glare from a clearly not happy Mew hybrid. "Ok look, this outta cheer you up!" he replied handing a ticket of some sort to Ken. "It's a ticket for the SS Anne. They invited me to their party, but I can't stand fancy get-togethers. Why don't you go instead of me?"

"Really?" Ken asked, then sighed. "What kind of party are we talking about?"

"Oh, don't tell me you're the type who can't stand them either?" Bill asked, looking a bit disappointed.

"Well, I wouldn't know," Ken admitted, shifting a tad uncomfortably. "I've never been to a party."

Bill's face instantly brightened. "You should go then! It never hurts to try new things!"

"Actually, from my experience it can," Ken sighed, looking at the ticket in his hand. "Besides, in case you didn't notice, there are _two _of us."

Bill's face fell. "Oh yeah. Hmm…that is a problem. Well, if you hurry, they might, and I stress the word _might_, have some extra tickets on sale."

"You think?" Ken asked hopefully, not really wanting to go to some party without his only friend.

Bill shrugged. "It's possible. I hear they're just givin' em away this year!"

"Huh?"

"Oh, that's right, you probably don't know!" Bill laughed, slapping his forehead. "See, the SS Anne is a luxury cruise ship that travels the whole world. It only stops in Vermillion once a year."

Ken and Chris stared at Bill, mouths wide open in shock. "ONCE A YEAR?"

Bill nodded. "Um-hm! Yep, that's right! Better get moving!"

In a state of near panic, the two Trainers thanked Bill, gathered their things, ate breakfast (courtesy of Bill), returned their Pokémon to their Pokeballs, received as certain book (which Chris ended up carrying), thanked Bill, and headed out the door towards Vermillion City.

Bill chuckled as he watched them go, a huge smile on his face. "Good luck you two, may we meet again someday."

* * *

Author's Notes: Expect the giant book on Mew to make a return appearance down the road, likely throughout the fanfic. Most of the information in it has no official canon basis, but is based on evidence and observation from the games, anime, etc. Also the whole Mew not having claws thing. I _know_ that Mew is a cat, but so is Skitty, and Skitty clearly has no claws. Since Mewtwo can't learn any claw based attacks, I figure that means that it doesn't have claws, same for Mew. Yes, Mew can learn Shadow Claw via TM, but Mew can also learn Steel Wing, so I look to Mewtwo to get an idea of what Mew would be able to learn without the whole "learn every move" thing.

Also, did people like how I italicized the written text? If not, I can change it in future chapters.

Thanks for reading everybody! :)


	31. Chapter 30: Break Away

Author's notes: Ok, so I'm crazy busy on Mondays, but I just couldn't resist uploading this little chapter. ^_^ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the song _Break Away_.

* * *

Chapter 30: Break Away

The waves lapped up against the sides of the SS Kyogre, as a certain blue haired teen stood on the dock staring out at the horizon, smiling as the warm sea breeze ruffled his hair. He loved being out at sea. There was just something so _magical_ about it.

_I thought I'd be impatient to get there, but…being out on the water like this…it's like I could stay here forever,_ he thought to himself with a dreamy smile, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the sound of the waves.

Absentmindedly, he began to hum a tune, unaware of the Water Pokémon that were beginning to stop and take notice. This tune became a lovely melody, until at last, unable to contain his happiness, he finally broke into song.

Grew up in a small town  
And when the rain would fall down  
I'd just stare out my window  
Dreaming of what could be  
And if I'd end up happy  
I would pray

Trying hard to reach out  
But when I tried to speak out  
Felt like no one could hear me  
Wanted to belong here  
But something felt so wrong here  
So I prayed I could break away

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly  
I'll do what it takes 'till I touch the sky  
And I'll make a wish  
Take a chance  
Make a change  
And breakaway  
Out of the darkness and into the sun  
But I won't forget all the ones that I love  
I'll take a risk  
Take a chance  
Make a change  
And breakaway

Wanna feel the warm breeze  
Sleep under a palm tree  
Feel the rush of the ocean  
Get on board a fast train  
Travel on a jet plane, far away  
And breakaway

Buildings with a hundred floors  
Swinging around revolving doors  
Maybe I don't know where they'll take me but  
Gotta keep moving on, moving on  
Fly away, breakaway

I'll spread my wings  
And I'll learn how to fly  
Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye  
I gotta take a risk  
Take a chance  
Make a change  
And breakaway  
Out of the darkness and into the sun  
But I won't forget the place I come from

I gotta take a risk  
Take a chance  
Make a change  
And breakaway  
Breakaway  
Breakaway

"Excuse me."

"Huh?" Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he opened his eyes to find that a huge multitude of Water type Pokémon had gathered around the boat, all of them staring at him.

"Well, your singing is…very nice…but the captain wanted me to ask that you please not do that again," the man explained, glancing out at the crowd of Water Pokémon that were now restricting the ships movement.

He felt himself blush, realizing that the Pokémon had been drawn by his singing and were now causing a bit of trouble for the captain. "Oops! Sorry about that!" he laughed, running a hand through his long blue hair. "It won't happen again, I promise!"

"Good," the man replied, turning to leave, then pausing and looking back at the group of Pokémon who still hadn't decided to leave. "Umm…how long will it be before they go away?"

"Oh! Uhh…depends. Usually they leave shortly after I stop singing, but sometimes they stick around hoping for an encore!" the teen laughed, tossing a fist in the air as if it were something to be proud of.

The man sighed. "Well, it had better be soon. We're on a tight schedule, and many of our passengers want to make it Vermillion in time to see the famous SS Anne. Many of them even have tickets for it, and it wouldn't do to make them miss their chance and have to wait a whole _year_, now would it?"

"Trust me, I have no intention of holding anybody up," the teen assured him, green eyes sparkling with amusement. Turning to the group of Pokémon, he called out, "Ok, that's it, shows over! Time to go! Go on! I don't do autographs!"

The man was about to lose it, but strangely, the Pokémon obeyed, swimming off to wherever it was they came from. The man stared at the teen, who was now smiling at him nonchalantly like it was no big deal.

As he turned to leave, the man was sure that there was something odd about the teen's hair, and was certain for a moment that he had seen _movement_, but decided that he must have imagined it.

* * *

Author's notes: A bit of a songfic chapter of sorts, and as you may or may not have guessed by now, the character in this chapter _is _going to be important down the road. He will get a name, and I _do_ have one in mind, but I'm curious as to what all of you think of him so far.

Anyway, this chapter is meant to serve as a bit of a break between plot points, and I thought it would be good to mention Mr. As-Of-Yet-Unnamed-Blue-Haired-Guy again. XD I know, nothing really happened, but don't worry, I have something special planned for the next few chapters! :)

As always, thanks for reading and don't forget to review! Thanks! :)

PS: I'm curious, did anyone try listening to the song while reading this? And if so, did it help add to the chapter in any way?


	32. Ch 31: Where'd You Go? We Miss You So

Chapter 31: Where'd You Go? We Miss You So

"How much further to Vermillion City?" Ken asked, shoulders slumped in obvious fatigue. "We've been walking all day!"

Chris studied the map, a frown on his face. "Uhh…I'm not sure, but it looks like a few days journey, at least."

"Ohhh," Ken moaned, sitting down and pulling off his shoes. "My feet hurt!"

"Oh come on Ken, it's not that bad!" Chris sighed, staring at the Mew hybrid who was now lying down in the grass and without any intention of moving.

"That's easy for you to say!" Ken snapped, ears flattening against his head. "I'm not used to walking so much!" He turned to stare at the sole of one of his feet, a frown on his face. "Look! I'm getting a blister!"

"Ken, I don't even think that's-" Chris began, but was cut off as a furry Mew foot was shoved towards him. "Huh. Well, what do you know?"

"I told you so," Ken grumbled, tail flicking in irritation.

"Ok! Ok! We'll set up camp, and continue on tomorrow morning. You should feel better then, Pokémon heal fast."

"I'm not a Pokémon," Ken growled, rolling over and proceeding to take a nap.

* * *

Later on, the group was sitting around the campfire, listening to one another tell scary stories as they roasted marshmallows.

"And then when she answered the phone, the officer told her to get out right away. The call was coming _from outside the house_!" Kyo screamed dramatically, causing everyone else to stare at him blankly.

"Don't you mean _inside_ the house?" Arch asked, rolling his eyes.

The little green lizard looked irritated but tried his best not to show it. "Right! That's…that's what I meant. The call was coming _from inside the house_!" he screamed, trying to look as scary as possible.

Zoey screamed and clung to Ken's leg while Shade simply shook his head.

"How may I ask, did the killer get inside the house without her seeing him? And why would he not simply attack rather than waste his time tormenting her, thus causing her to phone the police, resulting in more trouble for him in the long run?"

"Because he's scary!" Zoey insisted, her body shaking.

The Magikarp didn't look convinced. "But why-"

"It's a story Shade," Ken sighed, rotating his marshmallow so as not to burn it. "Think you can do better?"

"Perhaps…" the Magikarp replied, an evil gleam in his eyes.

* * *

A short time later, the whole group sat shivering around the campfire, eyes wide with fear, marshmallows long since burnt up in the fire due to lack of attention.

"O-ok Shade," Ken stammered, tail instinctively coiling around his body in defense. "Y-you're the better story teller."

The Magikarp looked pleased, and the group decided not to tell any more scary stories for a while for fear of never being able to sleep peacefully again.

* * *

Later that night, Ken found himself having a great deal of trouble falling asleep. The dreams from the night before still fresh in his mind, and the memory of Shades story till haunting him, Ken just couldn't seem to relax.

Finally, after what felt like hours of waiting, sleep began to flicker at the edge of his consciousness and Ken began to close his eyes, only to open them seconds later as he spotted a strange light out of the corner of his eye.

_What is that? _Ken wondered, sitting up and staring at the strange green glow. He pulled himself out of the sleeping bag Chris had let him borrow, eyes trained on the mysterious glow. The area around the glow seemed to distort, and seconds later a tiny green fairy like creature appeared in front of him, an amused look on her face.

"Hi Ken," she said, laughing as he jumped backwards in surprise.

"Who-who are you?" Ken asked, memories of a similar situation popping into his head.

"My name is Celebi," she replied, voice laced with laughter. "Surely you know that!"

Ken felt a headache come on as information on Celebi began to fill his brain. Doing his best to relax, the pain stopped, and he found that it was much easier than last time. "So…you travel through time?" Ken asked, trying to piece together what he had learned.

Celebi giggled. "Yep! That's right! And _boy_ do I have big plans for you Ken!"

"What kind of plans?" Ken asked, as the tiny legendary began to circle him.

"Don't worry, I'll explain on the way," she laughed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "After all, we have all the time in the world…"

And with that, the Celebi and Mew hybrid vanished into thin air, a quickly fading green glow being the only sign that they were ever there.

* * *

Chris awoke the next morning with a yawn and a stretch, eager to get on the road to Vermillion City. "Morning Ken, sleep well?" he asked, turning to the sleeping bag nearby, eyes widening as he realized that it was empty. "Ken! Ken where are you?" Chris called out, figuring that the Mew hybrid has simply gotten up to go to the bathroom and had not returned yet, but five minutes of calling his friends name over and over convinced him otherwise. _Where could Ken have gone? _he wondered, scratching his head in confusion. It wasn't like Ken to run off and not tell anybody. Ken may have his secrets, but he would never leave his friends behind. Glancing around, Chris quickly spotted Sora, Shade, and Zoey, causing panic to well up inside of him. Ken would _never _leave them behind! "Guys wake up!" he cried, shaking a startled Jerry and a very grumpy Kyo awake.

"What is it?" Arch asked, awakening at the sound of his Trainers voice. "I was having a very nice dream, you know."

"Ken's gone!" Chris shouted, causing Jerry and Kyo to jolt fully awake.

"Huh? But he was _right there_!" Kyo protested, motioning towards Ken's now empty sleeping bag.

"What's going on?" Sora asked, awakened by all the noise. She looked around, trying to catch the familiar image of her friend, but finding nothing. "Chris, where's Ken?"

"I…I don't know," Chris replied uncertainly, biting his lip as he saw the devastated expression on the young Bulbasaur's face.

"Ken left Zoey!" the little Clefairy wailed, tears streaming down her face as the other Pokémon tried their best to console her.

"Zoey…" Chris began, not sure what it was he was supposed to do. "I'm sure it's nothing like that."

"Master will come back to us," Shade stated calmly, not seeming the least bit worried.

The tiny Clefairy sniffed and began to dry her eyes. "You…you really think so?" she asked, turning to the Magikarp with a pleading look on her face.

"Of course," Shade replied in a tone that left no room for doubt. "Master Mew clearly has business to take care of which we can not be a part of. When the matter is settled, he shall return to us."

"Yaaaay!" Zoey squealed, grabbing the Magikarp and swinging him around, despite his obvious annoyance. "Thank you, thank you, you crazy fish!" Zoey giggled, pulling Shade into a tight hug. "Zoey is super happy you're her friend!"

Shade blinked, not sure what to say to that statement. Truthfully, the obvious frustration she caused his Master made it hard for him to accept the little Clefairy into their order, yet still, she was only a child, and right now she needed consoling. "As am I Zoey," he replied, raising a fin in the closest thing to a hug he could manage.

Sora smiled. Though she still thought that Shade was crazy, she had to admit that he wasn't _that _bad. Sometimes. Extending her vines, she wrapped the two Pokémon in her own version of a hug, glad that she at least had someone to share her feelings with.

Chris watched the scene with a smile on his face, glad that Ken's Pokémon were getting along for once, then sighed, realizing that he still had no idea what to do in Ken's absence. He frowned. They were less than a day's walk away from Bill's cottage. Perhaps Bill could help them figure out where Ken had gone. At the very least, seeing a familiar face might offer Ken's Pokémon a sense of security.

"Come on guys," he said to the group of Pokémon as he began gathering his things. "We're heading back to Bill's. Maybe he'll know where Ken went."

"Maybe Ken went back there last night!" Zoey exclaimed hopefully, dashing over to Chris's side.

In his heart, the Rigigigas hybrid knew that Ken wouldn't be there, but he didn't want to dampen the little Clefairy's mood any more than it was now. "Yeah Zoey," he replied, gently patting her on the head. "Maybe he is."

* * *

Late that night, Chris was on his way to Cerulean Cape, the wind howling in his ears; a storm was picking up again. Pulling his fur coat more tightly around him, he turned to Zoey and Sora who sat on his shoulders, concerned. The little Clefairy had refused to return to her Pokeball in Ken's absence, and Sora never did anyway. Even his own Pokémon had been unwilling, Kyo and Jerry following along beside him, despite the weather. Only Shade and Arch had been cooperative, but then again, they always were the calmest and most rationale of the group. He sighed as the Cyndaquil and Clefairy both sneezed, then returned them to their Pokeballs despite their protest.

Seeing this, Kyo quickly clamored up his Trainers leg and onto his shoulder, his teeth chattering. Sora didn't appear to be much better off, and Chris had to wonder if this kind of weather was good for a Grass type.

_Almost there, _he told himself, ignoring the few drops of rain the splattered against his forehead. _As long as it doesn't start pouring before we get there, we'll be ok. _

From inside his cottage, Bill suddenly heard a loud rap on the door. Wondering who in the world would be outside in this kind of weather, he quickly ran and opened the door, gasping as he found a shivering Chris, carrying two backpacks and two very cold looking Pokémon.

"Chris! What in the world are you _doing _out here?" Bill gasped, opening the door for his friend. "Quick, get inside! You'll catch pneumonia out there!"

"Th-thank you," Chris replied through chattering teeth, hurrying inside.

Once Chris and all the Pokémon were warmed up and seated beside the fire, Bill turned to the Rigigigas hybrid, a frown on his face. "Chris what happened? I thought that you and Ken would be on your way to Vermillion by now?" He handed the teen a cup of hot chocolate, which he took gratefully. "Hey, where is Ken?"

Chris took a long, slow drink of the hot chocolate, hoping to get some warmth back into him, then turned to Bill, a look of worry on his face. "Ken's gone."

Bill's eyes widened in both shock and concern. "Gone? What do you mean 'gone'? Where did he go?"

"We don't know," Chris replied, staring down at the mug in his hands.

"I still maintain that Master will return when the time is right," Shade insisted, from on top of a pillow. "Until then, we must not panic, and we must not move around too much. In fact, we should probably head back to our campsite, as that is surely where he will come looking for us."

"He has a point," Bill pointed out. "The best thing for you to do may be to go back there and wait for him."

"But what if something's happened to him?" Chris protested, not sure if he agreed with the statement or not. "He could have been kidnapped by Team Rocket for all we know!"

"_He could have?_" Zoey squealed, looking up from her cup of hot chocolate.

"No, Zoey…oh I don't know!" Chris sighed, tugging at his hair in frustration. He sighed, attempting to calm his nerves. "Look, I'm sure that nothing bad's happened to him, I just want to be on the safe side."

The Clefairy nodded, looking calmer but still worried.

"Don't worry, I'll contact the police and see if anyone has seen him."

"Wait, don't do that!" Chris yelped, nearly spilling his drink.

Bill blinked. "Why not?"

"If you tell the police, the word will spread like wildfire. That's the last thing Ken needs!"

Bill nodded, a frown on his face. "I see what you mean. Ok, I'll try to keep it quiet, but I really do think that we should contact the authorities, just in case something _did_ happen."

Chris nodded, hoping that wherever Ken was, he was all right.

* * *

Ken lay curled up in the backseat of the car, staring out at the scenery as it whizzed past, and feeling more than a little nervous.

_Oh Chris, Sora, everybody, I hope you're all right. I want to come home but there's something I have to do first, Charri and the others need me! _Shifting his position, he decided that he might as well get some sleep on the long car ride. After all, he was going to need to be at full strength when they got to their destination.

* * *

Author's notes: Welcome to the three part special! These three chapters will detail what happens to Chris and the others while Ken is in the future. This is also a crossover with _Charri: The Pokémorph Project_ by fanfiction author Charri, so I highly recommend that you read that as well to see Ken's side of the story.

Anyway, hope you like these chapters and don't forget to review! Thanks! :)


	33. Chapter 32: Feels Like its Been Forever

Chapter 32: Feels Like its Been Forever Since You've Been Gone

"I told you already, I don't know where he is!" Professor Oak told the Rockets for what must have been the hundredth time.

"Quit lying old man!" a Team Rocket member growled, tightening his grip on a Pokeball. "Either you tell us where the Mew Boy is _right now_ or-"

"He's telling the truth!" a voice from nearby announced, causing the Rockets to turn and take notice. "Turn on the TV. It's all over the news."

The Rocket complied, clicking on the remote and pointing it at the TV, the glow illuminating the small, dark room. Though he was tied to a chair, Professor Oak did his best to turn and face the screen.

A young female reporter stood on screen, near what appeared to be Cerulean Cape. She mouthed the words, 'Are we on?' before speaking. "We have received notice that yesterday one Ken of Pallet Town, also known as the Mew Boy, went missing without a trace. No one is aware of his whereabouts at this time. His friend and traveling companion, one Chris Nightingale of Snowpoint City Sinnoh, had this to say."

The camera panned out and turned to a clip of a tall, pale teenage boy wearing a fur coat, and looking none too happy. "Is this was you call keeping things _quiet_ Bill?"

The camera panned back to the reporter, who had been twirling a strand of her long black hair around her finger. Somebody whispered, "You're on," and she quickly snapped to attention, looking extremely embarrassed.

"This concludes our report. If you have any information about this individual's whereabouts, please call the number on your screen."

The screen changed once more, showing the most recent picture of Ken that the media could get, the words "Mew Boy Lives!" unfortunately still present, followed by an eight hundred number.

A lump formed in Professor Oak's throat, though he quickly turned to the bright side. _At the very least it means that he hasn't been captured by these thugs, _he thought to himself, casting a nervous glance at the room full of Team Rocket grunts.

* * *

Back in Pallet Town Rika, who had been doing dishes while watching the news, dropped the plate she was holding, causing it to shatter against the tile floor of the kitchen. "Oh Ken, no," she whispered, voice full of sadness and worry. She took a shaky step backwards, feeling week in the knees, before finally collapsing into a sitting position, staring up at the TV with wide eyes. "I should have known something was wrong when he never called back…" Shaking her head, she reminded herself that Ken had only been missing one day, though it did little to ease her worry. For her, one day felt like one hundred days. "Oh Ken, please be alright…"

* * *

Back at Bill's cottage, Chris and the others could do little to ease their nerves, as worry for Ken ran high. Even Bill's Pokémon were in a state of restlessness, Rainer moping around gloomily, Pyro dashing around like his paws were on hot coals, Sparky dozing most of the time, and Mikey being uncharacteristically whiney and clingy. Truly Ken's absence was noticed by all in that house.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Chris asked, pacing around the room and bumping into the Jolteon, who simply rolled over and continued snoring. "Just wait around until we hear something?"

"Pretty much," Bill replied, fiddling unenthusiastically with his laptop. "What do you expect us to do? Search all of Kanto to find him?"

"If that's what it takes!" Chris replied, fist clenched.

Bill shook his head. "Look, I know how you feel-"

"You haven't got a _clue _how I feel!" Chris snapped, causing the Jolteon at his feet to spring awake and glance around the room in confusion.

"He's my friend too," Bill replied, a hint of anger in his voice. Sighing, he turned to Chris, a look of sympathy on his face. "Look, I'm worried too, but we have to keep it together," Bill explained, a meaningful look in his eyes. "For their sake."

Chris looked around at all of the Pokémon who had stopped what they were doing to regard the feuding pair with confusion and nodded. Getting all of them upset was the worst thing he could do right now.

Bill nodded, offering his friend a small smile. "Don't worry Chris. I'm sure Ken is going to come back soon."

"I hope your right," Chris sighed, glancing out the window towards Cerulean City.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Misty is…not well," Clyde replied nervously, unsure of how he was supposed to explain the situation to the boy who had come to challenge the gym.

"But I've come all this way!" the boy protested, a determined look in his eyes. The Pikachu at his side simply sighed, arms behind its head, looking as if it couldn't care less. "Right Pika?"

"My name isn't Pika!" the Pikachu growled, Thundershocking his Trainer and causing the brown haired boy to topple over in a heap.

Clyde shook his head, feeling a headache coming on. _Why do I always get the weirdoes? _"Look, if you can't even handle your own Pokémon, maybe you're not ready to challenge Misty anyway," he replied, turning to head back towards the gym.

The boy scrambled to his feet, still not willing to give up. "Ok, I know we're not the _best_ team yet, but we can do this!" he insisted, eyes burning with the ambition of someone who is determined to accomplish great things.

Clyde sighed, finding a trace of sympathy for the kid. After all, he couldn't be more than eleven. "I'm really sorry, but Misty is in no shape to battle," he explained, causing the boy's face to fall. "See, she was friends with that Mew Boy who went missing recently, and is really worried about him."

The Pikachu's ears perked up as he heard this, and he turned his full attention to the gym guide, cheeks sparking anxiously.

The boy looked down at his Pokémon and patted its head, surprised that the Pikachu hadn't so much as zapped him. "Pika? What is it buddy?"

"Pi Chu Pika," the mouse replied, forgetting that his Trainer couldn't understand.

Scratching his head, the boy turned back to the gym guide, a look of sympathy on his face. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, adjusting his hat and looking a bit guilty. He turned to leave, then hesitated, as if he wanted to ask something more, but wasn't sure if he should. "Hey…um…you wouldn't happen to know if a certain Trainer challenged Misty already, would you?"

Clyde grinned, then pointed his thumb towards the pedestal in front of the gym. "Everyone whose beaten Misty gets there name engraved there." He coughed, looking a bit nervous. "Ok, and one person who tied," he corrected himself, clearly believing that this individual's name didn't deserve to be engraved there. "Take a look for yourself." And with that, he headed back inside the gym, leaving the boy to examine the pedestal on his own.

The boy groaned as he read the top name, which happened to have yesterday's date on it.

_Blue Oak, Pallet Town_

Beneath this was something quite strange-a Trainer who had _not _beaten Misty, yet still, must have done something special to earn a place their amongst the others.

_Ken, Pallet Town-Tie _

Hoping to have his name engraved there as well one day, Red went to spend another day at the Pokémon Center, hoping that tomorrow would be better.

* * *

Author's notes: Yep, Red and Blue are in this fanfic. Don't worry, they'll show up again later. :)


	34. Chapter 33: Please Come Back Home

Chapter 33: Please Come Back Home

At this point Ken had been gone for two days and those who knew him, both friend and foe alike, were beginning to take notice.

"Misty, you have to snap out of it," Clyde sighed, the red head in question barely paying any attention.

"I'm sorry, I just can't seem to concentrate like I used to," the girl replied from her seat in front of the pool, staring vacantly at the many tropical fish that swam about in the aquarium that made up the gyms walls. "I just get through warning him about Team Rocket, and then this happens!"

The man sighed and walked over to the girl, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is!" she snapped, causing him to back away in apparent fear. Her fist clenched and tears appeared at the corners of her eyes, threating to spill over. "I should have done something…"

"There's nothing you could have done," he sighed, trying his best to cheer her up. "Look, a boy with a Pikachu came by yesterday looking for a battle. Why don't you accept his challenge? It might cheer you up."

Misty considered this, a strange feeling of Déjà vu coming over her for some reason, though she wasn't sure why. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she said, getting to her feet, a small smile on her face. "After all, I'm the Cerulean City Gym Leader! I have a reputation to uphold!" The fire back in her eyes, Misty went to go change into her swimsuit for the upcoming gym battle.

* * *

"Yes! Finally we're getting somewhere!" the Rocket Supervisor laughed, as layer upon layer of earth was removed. "It's only a matter of time before we find that Mew fossil, and the Mew Boy isn't around to stop me!" He let out a long evil laugh that ended in a sigh. _Still, if we can't find a Mew fossil we're going to need a backup plan…and of course our backup plan had to go and disappear! _

Cursing his luck, the Rocket was about to tell his Sandslash to double its efforts, when he heard a voice call out from behind him.

"So you're the one who's been upsetting all the Pokémon!"

The Rocket snorted, more annoyed than worried. Nobody was going to stop them. "So what if I am?" he growled, turning to face his accuser. "Are you going to try and stop me? You're out of your league, you-oh." Suddenly, the Rocket didn't feel half as confident as he recognized the figure of none other than Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader. _Could this day __**possibly**__ get any worse?_

* * *

_Elsewhere, somewhere between the strands of time…_

"So, are people going to notice that I was gone?" Ken asked as he traveled with Celebi through time. It was like flying through a tunnel of green light, Ken noted, and _so _much easier than teleportation.

Celebi broke into a bout of nervous laughter. "Well...um…yes," she finally replied, barely meeting Ken's gaze. "It's a bit different when I'm traveling with others besides myself. The more passengers, the greater the lag. I'm sorry Ken." Noticing his irritated expression, she quickly added, "Don't worry! You've only been gone for two days!"

"_TWO DAYS?"_ Ken cried out, unable to believe that Celebi didn't understand what a big deal that was. With a sigh, he tried his best to calmly explain things to her. "Ok, I know that for someone who doesn't have to abide by the laws of time that two days is like two seconds in the grand scheme of things, but for my friends, that's a long time for me to be missing!"

Celebi blinked. "Really?" She looked at Ken then giggled. "Oops! Well, it's not like anything can be done about it now! Don't worry, I'll remember that if I ever need your help again!"

"Wait, what?" Ken demanded, not really sure if he liked the idea. But before he could say anything he found himself deposited on the grass somewhere, Celebi's joyful laughter already beginning to fade away.

Standing up and brushing himself off, he noted that the only problem with traveling through time was the landing. Still, anything was better than losing his lunch. Glancing around, Ken tried to figure out where he was, then slowly came to realize that he was in front of Bill's Cottage.

_Why would Celebi send me here? _he wondered, going to knock on the door.

"Could you get that?" Bill sighed, trying to convince Pyro to let go of the ceiling fan. He'd tried turning it on, but that had just made matters worse.

"You spin me right round, baby right round! Like a record when we go run round!" the Flareon sang, laughing maniacally.

"Sure," Chris uneasily replied, pretty sure that everyone was starting to lose it. Earlier he had caught himself humming that stupid Miley Cyrus song that Ken had been singing just days before.

Opening the door, Chris was met with the shocking sight of Ken standing there in the doorway, looking a bit tired but otherwise fine. For a minute, Chris just stood there, not sure what to do. Then a huge smile broke out on his face and he wrapped his friend in a huge hug.

"Chris! I can't…breathe!" Ken wheezed, afraid that his friend was going to crush him to death.

"Ken's back?" Bill asked, Pyro finally jumping down from the ceiling fan as he heard this.

Soon, Bill and all the Pokémon had joined Chris in giving the friend they had missed so much a huge welcome home hug.

"Seriously guys," Ken gasped, beginning to turn blue in the face, "can't…breathe!"

"Oops! Sorry Ken!" Chris laughed, as he and the others finally gave the Mew hybrid some much needed breathing room.

"So where have you been?" Bill asked once Ken had had some time to relax and they were all seated in Bill's living room.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Ken laughed, eyes lighting up as he gratefully accepted the chocolate chip cookies Bill had made to celebrate the Mew hybrids return.

"Try me," Bill replied, sitting down to hear what his friend had to say.

"Well," Ken began, as he reached for another cookie, "it's kind of a long story…"

* * *

"Wow," Bill said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Just wow."

"And you're _sure_ it was Celebi?" Chris asked, also skeptical.

"Hmm let's see… green, wings, antenna, big blue eyes, travels through time…uh yeah, I'm _pretty sure _it was Celebi," Ken replied with a roll of his eyes. "Honestly, what other Pokémon could it have been? Oh and then there's the fact that she _told me_ her name was Celebi!"

"Ok take it easy Ken," Chris sighed, aware that the Mew hybrid had been through a lot lately. "We believe you." A thoughtful frown crossed his face. "So, you're saying that in the future there are people like us called Pokémorphs who have been created by scientific means?"

Ken nodded. "That's right. I didn't get too many of the details, but from what I can tell, they inject humans with Pokémon DNA to bring about the change."

"And that _works_?" Chris asked, eyes wide with disbelief. Ken nodded. "Hmm…judging by what happened to Bill, I'd say it's _possible_. But who'd want to do such a thing?"

"People from some sort of organization called Team Galactic, though from what little I heard, that wasn't there original plan. Supposedly, they operated in Sinnoh originally. Ever heard of them Chris?"

The Rigigigas hybrid shook his head. "Never."

Ken frowned. "Maybe they don't exist yet."

"You sure it's not Team Rocket?" Chris asked, trying to piece together the events of Ken's story. "Sounds like something they would do."

"Yes Chris! I think I would remember the name of the people who tried to _kill me_!" Ken spat, tail lashing back and forth. "Sorry," he sighed, noticing Chris's hurt expression, "I know I've been kinda on edge lately."

"Which is why you should attend that party," Bill remarked, his Pokémon nodding in agreement.

Ken's yes widened. "Oh no! I completely forgot about that!" Springing to his feet, Ken made a mad dash for the door, pausing as he turned back to Bill, having remembered something. "Hey, about your Teleportation Machine-"

"It's just too risky for humans'" Bill sighed, shaking his head. "Pokémon should be fine, but I wouldn't try it yourself."

Ken let out a cross between a groan and a hiss, irritated that Bill kept interrupting him. "No, what I mean is, could it make me human?"

Bill's eyes widened in shock as he heard this and a brief moment of silence fell over the room before Bill shook his head and said, "Nope. Can't be done."

"Why not?" Ken demanded, a bit irritated that Bill had dismissed his idea so quickly. "It worked on you didn't it?"

Bill sighed. "Yes, but I was human to begin with. You were born this way, so trying to separate your human and Pokémon genes would only rip you apart."

Ken gulped. "You mean…?"

"It would kill you Ken," Bill replied bluntly, causing the Mew hybrid's ears to droop in defeat. "But, if you want," Bill continued, noticing his friend's disappointment, "I could see if I could come up with some other solution."

Ken's ears perked up at this and he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Thank you Bill!"

"Good," Bill laughed, walking over to Ken and studying him for a moment. "Ok, I'll need a hair sample, a detailed description of your abilities, a list of all your changes, a blood sample wouldn't hurt-"

"Bill, we _really _need to get going if we're gonna make it to the party," Ken reminded his friend, who nodded.

"Your right. Just let me get a hair sample and I'll see what I can do."

Ken sighed in relief, not wanting to become someone's science experiment, even if it was his friends. "Sure, just make it-YOW!" he cried out, pulling his tail away from Bill, who had just snagged a few strands of his fur with a pair of tweezers. "What the heck was that for?"

"Wow, I can't believe that worked!" Bill laughed, completely ignoring the angry Mew hybrid. "I figured that it would be too fine to remove that easily! Now all I need is a sample of your human hair-"

"That's what you were supposed to have been doing in the _first place_," Ken growled, not liking this one bit.

"Well I really would like to compare the two samples," Bill explained, holding up a pair of scissors and giving Ken a begging look.

Ken sighed. "Fine, but this had better not hurt and if I end up with a bald spot, I _swear _I will not speak to you until it grows back," he growled, not sure he trusted Bill with his hair.

"Don't worry, everything is under control-"

"Hey watch it!" Ken growled, as he felt the scissors come very close to his ear.

"Sorry!" Bill replied, quickly snipping off a few strands of Ken's hair. "Ok, got it!" As Ken let out a sigh of relief and turned to leave, Bill suddenly called out to him. "Wait! I just remembered that there was something else I wanted to give you!" Reaching into a drawer, he pulled out a pair of small digital devices, earning a confused look from Ken and Chris. "It's called Pokémon Gear, or just Pokégear. It has many functions, the most basic being a phone. It's really popular in Johto, and can link up with similar devices, like other peoples Pokégear, or the Pokénav." He held them up to Ken and Chris, then sighed. "Sorry, I only have one boy's model."

Ken and Chris stared at each other for a moment, then dove for the blue one, getting into a brief tussle, which Chris ended up winning.

"How come I get the pink one?" Ken demanded, tail twitching in irritation.

"Pink suits you that's why," Chris replied, trying not to laugh. "Besides, one of us had to take it."

"But why did "one of us" have to be _me_? And what do you mean pink suits me?" Ken demanded, eyes narrowed.

"Well…it kinda does," Chris replied with a shrug. "You are a Mew you know."

"So? You're a Rigigigas! That doesn't mean that you go around wearing…oh," Ken trailed off, recalling that the fur coat Chris always wore was in fact white. "Never mind…"

"See? It's your color," Chris laughed, putting the Pokégear in his backpack. "Besides, it's like a phone. Nobody cares what color your phone is Ken."

"Then why don't _you_ take the pink one?" Ken retorted, not really buying that nobody would care.

"Well it's like I said," Chris laughed, heading towards the door. "Pink suits you more than it does me!"

"He's right you know," Sora giggled as she climbed onto Ken's shoulder.

"Aw shut up Sora," Ken laughed, having missed both her and her crazy comments.

After returning Shade, Zoey, Jerry, Arch, and Kyo to their Pokeball's, Ken and Chris once again began their journey to Vermillion City.

* * *

Author's notes: Thus concludes the three part special, I hope everybody enjoyed it, and I hope it makes up for the really short chapter earlier this week. Like I said, it was meant to serve as a bit of a break between plot points, and I felt it good to mention the blue haired guy again. :)

Thanks for reading everybody! :)


	35. Chapter 34: A Little Bit Stronger

Chapter 34: A Little Bit Stronger

Author's notes: Ok, in case there was any confusion, the three previous chapters _are _important and _will _be referred to in subsequent chapters. Just thought I'd clear that up.

Anyway, enjoy! :)

* * *

"Chris use Crush Grip!" Kyo called out.

"Dodge it Ken!" Sora quickly instructed as the Mew hybrid just barely managed to avoid getting caught in the Rigigigas hybrid's grasp.

"Why are we doing this again?" Ken demanded, ducking out of the way of another one of Chris's Crush Grips.

"Because, you said you want to use the power you had in the future and this will help you get more into the character of a Pokémon," Chris explained, sighing as his attack once again failed to hit its mark. Ken seemed to have dodging down, but hadn't used a single attack the whole battle…or in all the time Chris had known him, come to think of it, Transform not counted. "Sora, have Ken go on the offensive!" Chris suggested, readying another Crush Grip.

"I'm _right here_!" Ken growled, tail flicking in annoyance.

"Be quiet Pokémon and listen to your Trainer!" Kyo laughed, clearly enjoying this. "Chris! Get in close and use Crush Grip!"

"Use Psychic Ken!" Sora called out as the Regigigas hybrid began to approach.

Ken tried to figure out how he was supposed to do that, but nothing came to mind. Before he had time to react, Chris had already grabbed him and begun to squeeze. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, breathing heavily.

Chris sighed. "Oh come on Ken, I didn't even hit you that hard!"

"That's easy…for you to say…" Ken gasped, trying to catch his breath. He turned to Chris, eyes narrowed. "Have you done this kind of thing before?"

"Once or twice," Chris replied with a shrug. "I never had any friends to battle with, so my Pokémon and I would train together."

Ken was about to question Chris about his decision to battle his Pokémon himself, then recalled that he had tried the same thing once, which failed do to his lack of offensive moves.

"It wasn't very often," Chris explained, apparently noticing the look on Ken's face. "Hardly at all once I got Jerry. Kyo needed someone to train with. What was I supposed to do?"

"Actually, I tried the same thing once," Ken admitted with a laugh. "It didn't go well though."

"What happened?"

"Well, I tried to Transform into a Pikachu, but only managed to change about half way," Ken sighed, Sora snickering at the memory.

Chris's eyes widened as if something important had just occurred to him. "Ken, have you _ever_ used a move besides Transform?"

"Well like I said, in the future-"

"And remembered doing it?"

The Mew hybrid was silent for a moment, eyes staring at the ground. "No."

"That's your problem," Chris sighed, going and helping Ken to his feet. "You need to learn how to use moves." His stomach growled, causing him to blush. "But first, I think we should have dinner and call it a night, it's getting late. We can work on your battle skills later."

Ken nodded in agreement. He still wasn't sure how he had done it in the first place, and it was clearly going to take some time to learn.

* * *

Later that night Ken lay in his sleeping bag, eyes glued to the pages of the book on Mew. He was surprised to find that he didn't need a flashlight, his eyes able to make out the words without a problem. _Cool, I have night vision! _Ken thought to himself in amusement, recalling what he had read about a Mew's eyes a few days ago. Turning to where he had left off, Ken skipped over several pages about Mew that he didn't really care about, hoping to find something helpful. _Hearing…no, sense of smell…no, vocal functions and cries…definitely not…oh forget it, I'm skipping the rest of this chapter! _Ken growled, flipping back to the table of contents. _Let's see…usable moves…usable moves…ah, here it is! _Flipping to the page on moves, Ken began reading.

_Chapter 62: Usable Moves: _

_Mew is a truly remarkable species of Pokémon capable of learning a vast array of moves and techniques. For your convenience, dear readers, this chapter will be split up into two sections: moves learned naturally and moves that must be taught, either through a TM or by a human being. Before we can get into that, however, one must first ask exactly __**how**__ it is that Mew can use these moves in the first place? As it is, there are many theories…_

Before he knew it, Ken was fast asleep, tired out from all the recent events and completely unaware that he had skipped over a lot of very important information…

The strange dreams returned, Ken once again finding himself flying over the ocean towards the pair of islands. This time though, he managed to make it almost to the mouth of one of the island caves before the strange voice decided to make itself known.

_Hello Ken, good to see that you're back where you belong; I've had a lot of difficulty finding you lately. _

_You stay away way from me, Mr. Crazy Stalker Guy! _Ken hissed, vaguely aware of how childish he sounded.

The figure laughed. _You're so cute when your angry little Mew. _Ken tensed as the figure floated closer to him, ready to make a run for it if necessary._ I see that you are trying to learn to utilize your powers. That is good. Perhaps you have finally learned to accept what you are. _

_I KNOW what I am! _Ken growled, tail lashing back and forth. _I'm a human being! _

_Really? You don't look like one to me. _

Ken glanced down at his body, realizing that he was a Mew again. _Every time I change in real life, its right after you show up! _Ken accused, blue eyes burning with anger. _Are you doing this to me? _

The voice laughed, although it was a cruel sound. _It would be so much simpler if I were. _The figure floated over to Ken, inches from him, a sort of cruel amusement seeming to radiate from the figure in waves. _Believe me, _he laughed, the area around them beginning to fade to black, _If I were the reason you're changing, you would have become completely Mew a LONG time ago. _Ken backed away from the figure, a chill running down his spine. The next thing he knew, the strange figure had picked him up and seemed to be trying to console him, like one would a child. _I don't want us to be enemies Ken; I'd rather that we be friends. _

_Who are you? _Ken asked, eyes begging to droop. In the back of his mind, he wondered how it was possible for him to be dozing off when he was already asleep and he struggled to stay focused long enough to hear what the figure had to say.

_Really, I thought you would've figured it out by now,_ the figure chuckled, sounding far away. _I am…_

The next thing Ken knew he was awake, staring up at the starry sky, the book he'd been reading lying on its side next to him.

_Crap! _

Mentally cursing his bad luck, Ken let out a yawn and rolled over to try and go back to sleep, only to feel something sharp poke him inside the mouth. Sitting bolt upright, Ken reached up and felt his canines, which seemed to have gotten sharper since the day before, and a little longer too, almost like fangs.

_Oh come on, that doesn't even make sense! _Ken mentally groaned, rummaging through his bag to find some sort of reflective surface. _Zubat have fangs, Charmander have fangs, Mew do NOT have fangs! _His search unsuccessful, he walked over and began to nudge Chris, the Rigigigas hybrid letting out a groan of protest. "Come on Chris, wake up!" Ken growled, shaking his friend even harder. "It's an emergency!"

"What's…the…problem…?" Chris mumbled in an extremely slow voice, eyes still closed.

"Do you have a mirror or something?" Ken demanded, trying his best not to freak out.

"Mirror? Uh…maybe…" Chris replied, beginning to inch into a sitting position…extremely slowly.

"Chris what's wrong with you?" Ken demanded, ears twitching in confusion. It seemed to him that this went a little beyond being abruptly awakened in the middle of the night.

"Sllll…Slow Start," he mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Give me…five minutes…"

"Look, I don't _care _if you're off to a slow start this morning!" Ken growled, tail twitching in irritation. "I've got a bit of a problem-"

"That's his ability," Arch announced from nearby, clearly unhappy that his sleep had been disturbed.

"Huh?"

"A Rigigigas has an ability called Slow Start that temporarily haves their attack and speed," the Ralts explained, as if Ken was a total idiot. "Normally, he can control it, even use it to his advantage, but wake him up from a sound sleep and you're not going to get much out of him, trust me." Arch glanced over at his Trainer, who did in fact seem to be moving at half his usual speed, and sighed. "Chris isn't a morning person. You have to let him wake up at his own time, or _this_ happens."

"Well, how long till he gets going?" Ken demanded, beginning to lose patience.

"Five minutes," Arch replied, as if he were used to this sort of thing.

"FIVE MINUTES?"

"Look, if it's about your transformation, I'm sure you can find out what you need in that book of yours," Arch sighed, clearly wanting to go back to bed.

"Look Arch, something very _wrong_ is happening here!" Ken cried, beginning to freak out. "I have fangs!You hear me? _Fangs! _The book didn't say _anything _about that!"

"And how much of the book have you read?" the Ralts asked, looking as though he already knew the answer.

"Uh…some of it," Ken replied, not meeting Arch's smug look.

"You skipped most of it, didn't you?"

"Yeah…" Ken admitted with a sigh, ears drooping in defeat. "But its _soooo _long and _boooring_ sometimes!" he whined, surprised at how childish he'd just sounded.

The Ralts gave him a funny look. "Ken? Are you feeling alright?"

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Ken growled, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration. "For the _last time_ I'm-"

"Huh? Ken? What are you doing up?" Chris asked, blinking a few times to focus his eyes. "And what's this about a mirror? I mean, couldn't it have waited till-whoa!" Chris jumped in surprise. A pair of glowing feline eyes staring at him was not the sight he'd expected to see.

"What?" Ken asked, clearly not understanding what had startled his friend so much. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Chris quickly replied, knowing how sensitive Ken had been about his appearance lately. "Uh…sure, I've got a mirror in here somewhere," he replied, going through the contents of his backpack before handing a small hand mirror to Ken. "Honestly, I don't know why I brought it-"

"HOLY CRAP WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY EYES?" Ken demanded, causing Chris to face palm.

"Cat's eyes do that Ken," Chris sighed, although he had to admit, it had startled him too. "Your eyes changed recently, and I guess you're not used to seeing them in the dark."

"Y-yeah," Ken stuttered, finally calming down a bit. "I guess not." Turning back to his reflection, he parted his lips to reveal a pair of tiny fangs, causing him to sigh in dismay. "I was hoping I'd imagined it…"

"Hm?" Chris asked, leaning forward to get a look at what Ken was talking about, then sighing as he realized that he couldn't make out much of anything in the darkness. "What am I looking for here?"

"I have fangs Chris!" Ken spat, tail lashing back and forth angrily. "Are you _blind_?"

"Chill out Ken, not everybody can see in the dark like you can," Chris pointed out, causing Ken to relax a bit, although not by much. "The book said that that's normal."

Ken blinked in surprise. "You've read it?"

"No, just chapter one," Chris replied with a shrug, causing Ken's mouth to drop open. "Err…haven't you gotten that far yet?"

"He hasn't gotten past Mew's lack of claws," Arch explained with an amused chuckle.

"Stay out of my head!" Ken protested, putting his arms over his head as if to shield his thoughts.

"Only trying to help," the Ralts replied with a shrug.

"_That's _all the further you've gotten?" Chris asked, clearly surprised. He'd expected Ken to be interested in that sort of thing.

"I meant to read more!" Ken protested. "I just…couldn't concentrate tonight. It must be because I'm tired."

"Or maybe you would have paid more attention if there had been pop up pictures and coloring sections," Arch muttered, a small grin on his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ken demanded, glaring angrily at the Ralts.

"Don't fight!" Chris sighed, stepping between the two feuding Psychic types. "It's on page forty-nine, ok Ken? Now let's all get some sleep!"

Ken gave a reluctant nod and headed back over to his sleeping bag, glancing back over his shoulder once to see if Arch was laughing at him, but the Ralts was already asleep. Picking up the book from where he'd dropped it, Ken flipped over to chapter one, page forty-nine.

_Based on fossil records, Mew are believed to be carnivorous, possessing small fangs for hunting, about as developed as that of a Skitty, and only being visible when the creatures mouth is open. It should be noted that most cat Pokémon possess fangs to some degree, and it would seem that Mew is no exception. The diet of Mew is believed to consist of mainly meat and berries, though Mew does seem to have an affinity for certain other foods. However, that is best left to Chapter 5: Diet. _

Curious, Ken promptly skipped to the chapter on diet.

_Chapter 5: Diet _

_Judging from fossil records, Mew is believed to possess a pair of tiny fangs, which would be used for hunting. It is believed that Mew's usual prey would consist of birds and fish, able to both fly and swim in order to catch them. It is also believed that Mew, like most Pokémon, enjoys eating berries. A few scientists have claimed to have found a larger than normal amount of Lum Berry trees in areas where Mew sightings have been reported, leading experts to believe that Mew strongly prefers them to any other fruit. There have also been numerous reports that speak of another, stranger, food that Mew is said to be especially fond of: chocolate. Chocolate, or indeed, any sweet food, is believed to be a big favorite. Those in search of Mew often carry a large supply of candy bars in an attempt to lure out the creature, and often report success. One such researcher was said to have observed Mew for an entire hour by feeding it candy bars. However, when he attempted to catch the Pokémon, Mew was said to have teleported away, along with the researcher's entire bag of candy bars. _

Ken stared at the book in shock, body beginning to tremble. _Is there anything about me that isn't because I'm part Mew? _he wondered, closing the book and crawling back into his sleeping bag. He ran his bristly tongue over his new fangs, feeling both confused and frustrated. _What the heck is wrong with me? _

Rolling over onto his side, Ken tried his best to fall asleep, hoping the next morning would be better.

* * *

Ken awoke the next morning to the smell of chocolate chip pancakes cooking, making his stomach growl. Climbing out of the sleeping bag and putting on his shoes, he headed over to Chris, who was now cooking pancakes over a small fire, Kyo looking ready to dig in as soon as they were done.

"Morning Ken," Chris greeted him with a smile as he flipped the pancake over. "Sorry about last night, I know I wasn't very helpful."

"It's ok," Ken sighed, as he sat down to wait for breakfast to be done, his Pokémon hurrying over as well. "I know I haven't been in the best mood lately."

Chris nodded, his expression one of sympathy. "I can't blame you; if I was changing, I'd freak out too." He gave the pancake another flip before dishing it out onto an ever growing pile, being sure to keep it out of Kyo's reach. "How many do you want?"

"How many you willing to make?" Ken chuckled, as Chris set forth making more pancakes.

A short while later, Ken was chowing down on chocolate chip pancakes with his friends, a delighted purr rumbling in his throat. He was positive that Chris had made them just to cheer him up. Still, he wasn't complaining, and even asked for a second helping.

Surprisingly, he found it very easy to adapt to having fangs. He was sure that he'd end up biting himself at least once, and was pleasantly surprised that he hadn't.

_How is it that I'm able to adjust to this so well? _he wondered, running a finger over one of the tiny fangs thoughtfully. _Maybe-_

"They're not even noticeable, you know," Chris commented, interrupting his thoughts. "I wouldn't even go so far as to call them fangs."

"Maybe not," Ken sighed, taking another bite of pancake, "but I'd still like to know why this is happening."

"Don't worry Ken, I'm sure Bill will figure something out soon," Chris reassured his friend, causing Ken to smile.

"Yeah, I suppose your right," he agreed, finishing off the rest of his pancakes before pausing to lick his furry palms, which were sticky with maple syrup. Realizing what he'd been doing, he quickly stopped, cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "Uhh…you have any baby wipes or something like that?"

"Sure," Chris replied, tossing his friend a box before turning to put his cooking supplies away.

_Relax, _Ken told himself, trying to ignore all the thoughts running through his head. _I know what I am. I'm not a Pokémon, I'm a human and nothings gonna change that! _

Pushing his fears to the back of his mind, Ken and Chris once again set off towards Vermillion City, Ken doing his best to forget about his ever-changing appearance.

* * *

"Chris, are you _positive _that this is the right way to Vermillion City?" Ken asked, knowing how terrible his friend was with maps.

"Of course I'm sure!" Chris laughed, turning back to the map. _Ok, now is that a river or a road…oh wait, I had it upside down. Now what's that thing supposed to be?_

"Just say it," Ken sighed, shoulders slumping. "We're lost again, aren't we?"

"Of course not!" Chris protested, turning the map sideways and frowning. "According to the map, there's a major landmark coming up…I just can't tell what it's supposed to be." Ken let out a groan. "Ok, just relax!" Chris chuckled, taking another look at the map. "It's either a gas station or an outhouse."

"Chris," Ken said, as calmly as he could, "I might be wrong, but neither of those things seem likely."

"All right," Chris sighed, shoving the map into his backpack in defeat, "so I can't read maps! Look, if it's that major a landmark, I'm sure we'll know it when we see it!"

"Is that it?" Sora asked, extending one of her vines and pointing towards a large building up ahead.

Chris blinked, unable to believe that he hadn't noticed the building until Sora said something. "Uh…yeah Sora, I think that's it."

The group approached the building, pausing long enough to read the sign posted out front, _Pokémon Day Care, _before knocking on the door, which opened to reveal a man of around twenty two years old with shaggy brown hair that came just past his ears. He wore a pair of jeans sporting obvious signs of wear and tear, a green apron, and a pair of black work boots.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Daycare! Would you like me to raise one of your Pokémon?" he asked, a friendly smile on his face.

"Raise them?" Ken asked, clearly confused. Wasn't it the Trainers job to raise their own Pokémon?

"You've never heard of the Pokémon Daycare before, have you?" the man asked, noticing the Mew hybrids confused expression. Ken shook his head. "Well, to put it quite simply, I raise one of a Trainer's Pokémon for them. This is especially helpful for inexperienced Pokémon who aren't ready for battles just yet. Granted, it isn't as effective as battles for strengthening a Pokémon, but if you have one that, say, hasn't learned any offensive moves yet, this would be a great way to allow it to learn those essential skills without it being exposed to harm."

"Sounds like you Ken!" Sora giggled, causing the Mew hybrid to shoot her an annoyed glare.

"And Mew works?" Ken asked, a bit skeptical.

"That's right," the man assured him with a nod. "A boy dropped off his Abra yesterday, and it's grown quite a bit stronger since he left it here. I even taught it to use Shadow Ball!"

"_Really?_"

The man nodded. "The Abra was most willing to learn. I didn't even need to use a TM, which is good because TM's are so hard to come by. I normally don't use them unless the Pokémon is _really _having trouble learning moves.

"Could Mew do something for Shade?" Ken asked, pulling out the Magikarp's Pokeball. As far as he knew, the only move the crazy fish knew was Splash.

The man grimaced. "I've seen a Pokeball like that _many_ times before. Let me guess, Shade is a Magikarp?" Ken nodded. The man groaned. "I'm willing to bet that some shady guy sold it to you at some ridiculous price, telling you that it was some sort of "secret Pokémon," then ran off with your money."

"Well…that's not exactly how Mew happened," Ken muttered, recalling how he had first met Shade. Still, the result was pretty much the same. "But yeah."

The man let out a long heavy sigh. "I'll see what I can do, but you have to promise me you'll come back for it. I've had many Trainers give me their Magikarp to raise, saying that they'd be back for it in a couple of days." The man's face turned grim. "They never came back."

"Mew would never do that to Shade!" Ken hissed, tail lashing angrily at the thought of such a thing. "He may drive Mew nuts, but he's my friend!"

The man's eyes widened in shock, surprised that this boy could care so much for what many people considered to be a useless creature. "Good! I like that kind of conviction!" He pulled a notepad out of his back pocket and jotted something down before motioning for Ken to follow him.

Shrugging, Ken and Chris followed the man towards the back room.

"My name's Danny," the man explained as he lead the group past several stalls with Pokémon inside, "but most people just call me the Daycare Dude." Ken and Chris exchanged confused glances. "I know, it's a little weird!" Danny laughed, rubbing the back of his and messing his shaggy brown hair. "See, my grandparents run the Day Care on Four Island in the Sevvi Islands, and they go by the Daycare Man and the Daycare Lady. It's kind of traditional." Pulling out a set of keys, he unlocked the door to a room at the end of the hallway before leading Ken and Chris inside.

"Wow," Ken marveled, as he took in the sight of the many aquariums littering the relatively small space. Several Water Pokémon were already swimming about, looking like they were enjoying themselves. It reminded him a bit of the Cerulean Gym, now that he thought about it.

Danny laughed. "It's not much, really. My grandparents have a much better facility than this, but it does the job I guess." Looking from tank to tank, he finally came to an empty one and turned to Ken. "This should work just fine! Do you have your Magikarp?"

"Right here," Ken replied, holding up Shade's Pokeball and approaching the tank. In a flash of light, the fish was released into the water.

"Thus I return to the sea with _a vengeance_!" Shade announced, causing Ken to face palm.

"Shade," Ken said as the fish turned his attention to him, "I'm going to leave you here for a little bit. I'll come back, I promise!"

"As you wish Master Mew," Shade replied with a bow. "As your apprentice I will do whatever you ask of me."

Ken felt a lump form in his throat. Chris had told him how Shade had never doubted his return; not for a minute. _I just got back,_ Ken thought to himself as he stared at the ever obedient fish in the tank. _I can't leave him now. _"I can't do this!" he cried, causing Chris and Danny to jump. Sighing, Ken promptly returned Shade to his Pokeball. "I'm sorry, I can't leave Shade here," he tried to explain, pretty sure that he wasn't making any sense. "My Pokémon have been away from me for a while, so I don't want to just leave one of them behind."

Danny nodded, a huge smile on his face as Chris translated what Ken had just said, causing Ken to blush as he thought he'd been speaking English. "Well why didn't you just say so? I offer a special training program for Trainers and Pokémon with separation issues." A wicked grin suddenly broke out on his face. "Only thing is, it requires that the Trainer play an active role. Think you're up for it?"

Ken nodded, tail twitching enthusiastically. "Whatever Mew takes!"

Danny tried and failed to suppress a laugh. "Ok, but this program doesn't just train the Pokémon," he explained as he led them to another room. "It trains the Trainer."

* * *

Author's notes: I'm trying to lengthen the chapters and allow more things to happen at a time, thus hopefully speeding things up a little bit. I'm sure you all can't wait for Ken to get to Vermillion, and I'm sorry to say that you'll have to wait a little bit longer. He'll get there though, don't worry! ^_^

Also, for those of you who are into Yugioh/Yugioh GX, I've started my own Yugioh GX fanfic, _Soul Card_. Check it out if you want to. :)


	36. Chapter 35: Release Your Inhibitions

Chapter 35: Release Your Inhibitions

"Oh come on! You call that _running_? I've seen Slowpoke run faster than you! Speed it up!"

"Mew wanna try this and see how easy it is?" Ken growled, tail lashing back and forth angrily. When he'd agreed to this "special training" running on a treadmill while Danny criticized his running speed wasn't what he'd had in mind.

Chris stared over Danny's shoulder at the screen that monitored Ken's speed, a curious expression on his face. "How fast is he going?"

"Actually, a bit faster than your average human, but don't tell him that," Danny replied with a sly grin, while simultaneously turning up the speed of the treadmill a few notches.

Chris looked puzzled. "Then why are you pushing him so hard? He's not exactly what you'd call athletic in the first place, you know. It seems to me that he's doing pretty well."

Danny sighed and shook his head. "For a human, he's doing really well, but for a Pokémon-a _legendary_ Pokémon-not so much. I honestly expected him to be faster than this. It's strange…"

"What do you mean?" Chris asked, glancing over at his friend, a concerned look on his face.

"Well think about it: Ken's more Pokémon like than you are and he can't even perform a simple attack. Why is that?"

Chris frowned, not sure how to answer that. "We've been working on it…" he mumbled, running a hand through his short black hair thoughtfully.

"Have you had any luck?"

"Not really," Chris admitted, glancing over at his friend with concern.

"How about you?" Danny asked, hoping to figure out exactly _why _Ken had been unable to use moves. "How did you learn to use your abilities?"

"Well, I really didn't," Chris replied with a shrug, looking thoughtful. "When I hit thirteen, I just got this sudden muscle increase, and then after that it just came naturally."

"What about Crush Grip? How did you figure that out?"

"It's not really that hard, all you do is grab the other guy and squeeze," Chris replied with a shrug.

Danny laughed. "It's a bit more complicated than that. Come on, you must have done _something._"

Chris frowned, deep in thought. _How __**did**__ I learn how_?_ I couldn't have just woken up one day and magically figured out how to use Crush Grip! _But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that that was _exactly_ what he recalled happening.

"I just knew," Chris replied at last, sighing as he realized how stupid that must have sounded.

However, instead of looking irritated, Danny looked intrigued. "Hmm…if I had to guess, I'd say that your Pokémon instincts must have kicked in. A Pokémon doesn't have to _think _about how to use its moves; it _knows_ instinctively how to perform them. The Pokémon part of you knows how to use moves, but Ken..." Danny looked over at the Mew hybrid, wincing as he tripped and went flying off the treadmill. "If Ken keeps pushing his instincts away, he'll never be able to use moves, psychic power, or anything else Pokémon related for that matter. _Never._"

"He won't?" Chris asked, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

Danny shook his head, a deep frown on his face. "It would be impossible."

Chris watched with a mixture of sadness and pity as Ken tried and failed to get back on the treadmill, jumping onto it and promptly falling over and being thrown off again. If they didn't do something, Ken would-

"MY TAIL!" Ken cried, rubbing the furry appendage where he had landed on it, his expression one of pain.

Danny regarded the Mew hybrid with a sigh and a shake of the head, an equally sympathetic look on his face. "If we want to help your friend, we need to figure out how to bring his instincts to the surface," he whispered to Chris, hoping that Ken wouldn't hear them. "Do you know how to do that?"

Chris frowned. Was it even a _good_ idea to do that? _What if I lose Ken forever? _he thought to himself worriedly, recalling how Ken wasn't always _Ken_. _What if next time, he doesn't come back?_ Chris frowned, not sure what to say. He wanted to help Ken learn how to use his abilities, but was afraid that forcing Ken to tap into his instincts would destroy everything that made him _Ken_.

"CRAP!"

Chris sighed as he watched Ken try and fail once more to get back on the treadmill, wondering if it wouldn't be simpler to just turn the stupid thing off and let him back on it. Shade, on the other hand, seemed to be having much better luck. He was currently in a small pool made to simulate the oceans current, and was swimming against the waves, a determined look on his face.

_If even a Magikarp is doing better than Ken, then maybe it wouldn't be __**such**__ a bad idea to try and awaken Ken's instincts, _Chris thought with a sigh, realizing that the Mew hybrid really wasn't making any progress.

"Well…Ken likes to swim, at least, I _think _he does. He sure seemed into it when we were at the Cerulean Gym."

"He won a gym badge?" Danny asked, looking excited. Chris shook his head and the man's smile faded. "Ok, well that's a start, I guess."

"He's also got a thing for Pokémon Food," Chris offered, hoping that the information would help in some way.

"Hmmm…that could work," Danny mumbled, a sly grin slowly making its way to his face.

_Oh boy, what does he have planned now? _Chris wondered, as the man loudly announced that Ken and Shade should take a break.

Ken sat down on the floor, breathing heavily and wondering if the so called Daycare Dude even knew the first thing about raising Pokémon.

"A good warm up, yes Master?" Shade asked, flopping out of the pool to sit beside Ken.

"_Warm up?_" Ken asked, eyeing the crazy fish with disbelief. "That treadmill tried to _kill me_ and you call that a _warm up?_"

"Forgive me for saying so Master, but I don't believe that you were doing it right," Shade replied calmly, looking apologetic.

Ken was about to protest when Danny walked over to them, a huge grin on his face. "Having fun Ken?"

"No," Ken replied without the slightest bit of hesitation. "What is the _point_ of making Mew run anyway?"

"When in battle, a Trainer has to learn to think on their feet. The slightest bit of hesitation can mean the difference between glorious victory and crushing defeat," Danny explained with a hint satisfaction. "Besides, speed is one of the easiest things to start with when training a Pokémon."

"I'M NOT A POKEMON!" Ken growled, scrambling to his feet and glaring daggers at his new teacher. "Come on Chris, we're gonna be late for the SS Anne anyway," he grumbled, picking up his backpack and turning to leave.

"But the SS Anne isn't due to arrive for three more days!" Danny called after him, causing the Mew hybrid to stop in his tracks.

Slowly turning around, he stared at the Daycare Dude in disbelief, right ear begging to twitch like crazy. "So you're telling me that we've been scrambling to get to a party that is scheduled for _three days from now?"_

"We need to get there early for my ticket anyway Ken," Chris explained as he stepped between the two of them, hoping to avoid a fight. He saw Danny give him a look, then quickly added, "But we might as well stay and finish Shades training, we're paying for it anyway."

Ken's eyes widened. "Say _what_?"

"I was going to give you a freebee for letting me train someone as unique as yourself," Danny smoothly interjected, "but if you want to leave early, that's fine. Shade should have learned Tackle from all the speed training, so that comes to a total of one hundred Pokédollars."

"_WHAT?" _

"Or you could stay and I'll train both of you for free," Danny added with a shrug.

"Fine," Ken grumbled, beginning to wish he had never opened the door in the first place, and missing the triumphant grin on Danny's face.

"Great! Now who wants lunch?"

With a groan Ken nodded, and Danny headed off into the next room, followed immediately by Chris.

"Ok first of all, there's no _way_ that teaching Shade _Tackle_ would cost that much. Second, I really doubt that he learned it that fast," Chris remarked, arms crossed.

Danny flashed the Rigigigas hybrid a guilty looking smile as he began rummaging through containers of Pokémon Food. "Yeah ok, so I might've stretched the truth a _little_ bit, but he wasn't going to stick around otherwise, and believe it or not, I _do _want to help him."

Chris said nothing, but wasn't really sure that he liked the idea of lying to Ken. Instead, he decided to occupy himself with reading the labels on the cans of Pokémon Food.

* * *

Back in the other room, Ken sat impatiently waiting for his food, tail twitching. _What's taking so long? _he wondered, sighing as his stomach let out a growl.

"Ken's stomach is angry!" Zoey gasped, jumping backwards in alarm.

"I'm just hungry Zoey," Ken sighed, though inside he was laughing his head off. "And just _how_ did you get out of your Pokeball?"

"Zoey is tired of staying in the magic world," the little Clefairy sighed, skipping playfully over to Ken. "Zoey feels better now and wants to play!"

Ken blinked. _The magic world? That's a new one. Oh well, it's not like The Sphere of Command is __**normal**__. _"I can't right now Zoey," he sighed, picking up the little Clefairy in his arms who began to pout. "This nice man has offered to help me train Shade-"

"More like forced you to," Sora laughed, causing Ken to cast an irritated glare her way.

"And might be able to help me with my own…er…problem."

"Also because he forced you to."

Ken glared at Sora but said nothing. "I'll play with you _later_, ok?"

Zoey's eyes lit up. "Promise?"

"I promise-wait, I mean-"

"Ken will play with Zoey!" the Clefairy sang, causing Ken to sigh, realizing that it was too late.

_She's going to hold me to that promise,_ he realized, ears drooping in dismay.

_Oh come on Ken, you like that kind of stuff! _a childish voice at the back of his head giggled, causing Ken to look around to see who it was that had spoken.

_That's funny, _Ken mused, _I could have sworn…no that can't be. _

"What's wrong Ken?" Sora asked, jolting him back to reality.

"Oh, uh, nothing," he replied, shoving the thought to the back of his mind. "Don't worry Sora, it's nothing."

* * *

_Ken actually EATS this stuff? _Chris wondered, staring at the cans of food with a deep frown on his face. He popped off the lid and took a cautious sniff, wrinkling his nose in response. _It sure doesn't smell very-_

"That's for small rodents," Danny explained, laughing as Chris hurriedly closed the lid, face already beginning to turn red. "It's geared towards Pokémon like Rattata and Pikachu. You'd probably want the kind for inorganic Pokémon that are mineral based in nature. I usually feed that to Pokémon like Magneton and Golem. Wanna try?" he asked, holding up a can of Pokémon Food.

Chris rolled his eyes. "Do I look like a walking pile of rocks to you?"

Danny shrugged. "Hey, the other Regis are made of ice, rock, and steel. That formula is pretty much what they'd go for."

Chris was about to protest, then decided that Danny might have a point, and shrugged it off. "So…you have a different type of food for different kinds of Pokémon?"

"That's right. Pokémon vary greatly from species to species, so I try to give them the type of food most suited for them. Now where…ah, here it is!" Danny exclaimed, holding up a can of food triumphantly. "If anything is going to get Ken to pay more attention to his Pokémon side, it's this food right here."

Chris was about to ask what he meant, when he saw what was written on the label: _Small Feline Formula. _

* * *

Ken was getting really impatient by now, and was about to go see where Chris and Danny had gone, when they walked through the door, Danny carrying several cans of Pokémon Food triumphantly. Ken groaned.

"Chris, did you really _have _to tell him about my…eating habits?" he asked, searching for the right way to fraise it.

"Sorry Ken," Chris replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "On the plus side, Danny says that you're really gonna like this kind. It's a special brand devoted specifically to…er…your needs."

"And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Ken demanded, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Yes, Mew Mew!" Danny laughed, placing a bowl in Ken's hands and filling it up with Pokémon Food. "Sorry, but unlike your friend here, I have _no idea _what you just said."

Ken sighed. _It would be so much easier if I could just keep my stupid languages strait. And just because I'm part Pokémon, it doesn't mean that…_he trailed off, the scent of the Pokémon Food making its way to his nostrils. _That smells…DELICIOUS! _

Danny's eyes widened in surprise as the Mew hybrid happily began to devour the food, face first. Chris just sighed, as he'd heard about Ken's _previous_ experiences with Pokémon Food.

The Mew hybrid continued to inhale the Pokémon Food, a rather loud purr rumbling within his throat, his tail twitching merrily. After a couple seconds, he began to lick the crumbs out of the bottom of the bowl, eyes wide with delight.

"So Ken," Danny asked, as the Mew hybrid finally finished and stopped to look at them, "how do you feel?"

The Mew hybrid stared at them with big blue eyes that radiated innocence, a smile quickly finding its way to his face.

"This food is wonderful!" he cried out happily in Pokéspeak, tail twitching with joy. "Is there more?" he asked, holding up the bowl, eyes huge and pleading.

Danny laughed. "I don't even need a translation for that one. See, I _told you _that everything would be fine," he said to Chris, while pouring more food into Ken's bowl. "And here you were worried over nothing!" The Mew hybrids eyes widened in joy, and he quickly began to chow down on the kibble. "Now he's happy, and we can see about trying to reach his instincts in a safe, controlled manner."

"What does that mean?" Chris asked, a nervous lump forming in his throat.

"Well, he's constantly at war with himself!" Danny pointed out with a laugh. "Honestly, it's a miracle that the guy hasn't developed a split personality!"

_Uh oh. _"Um…how would I know if his personality was starting to split?"

"Oh you know, he'd have periods of time that he didn't remember so well, times where he'd start acting like someone else, you know, stuff like that," Danny replied with a shrug.

_Oh boy. _"And hypothetically, if his personality _was _starting to split, this wouldn't, you know, push him over the edge…would it?"

Danny frowned, an extremely serious look on his face. "Huh. Never thought of that…"

Chris's eyes bulged and he grabbed the Daycare Dude firmly by the collar. "What do you mean you never thought of that? This is my best friend's _brain _we're talking about!"

"Look, I'm sure he's fine!" Danny insisted, trying to push a very angry Chris off of him. "There's absolutely no reason to-"

"Bubbles are FUN!"

Chris and Danny turned to where Ken was standing, mouths dropping open. The Mew hybrid was currently popping several pink bubbles that had appeared out of nowhere, giggling like crazy. His eyes glowed pink, and a rather large pink bubble materialized from nowhere, after which Ken jumped onto it and began to bounce on it playfully, not a care in the world.

"I thought you said he couldn't use psychic powers?" Danny asked, confused.

"He can't," Chris replied, equally dumbfounded.

Yet here was Ken, bouncing on a pink bubble of psychic energy as if he'd done it a million times before.

"So…my plan worked then!" Danny exclaimed after a moment of silence, throwing his arms up in the air in triumph.

Chris, on the other hand, was a little uneasy about this sudden use of psychic power. Surely giving Ken special Pokémon Food wouldn't be enough to bring out such energy, there was no _way_ it could be that easy.

"Ken," Chris called to the Mew hybrid, who paused and looked at him curiously, "could you come here a minute?"

"Sure Chris, what's up?" Chris's eyes widened as the Mew hybrid _floated_ over to him, his blue eyes glittering with excitement and playfulness. "Something wrong?" Ken asked when he noticed Chris's concerned expression.

"Ken, do you know what you are?" Chris asked, beginning to feel that something wasn't right. Ken was acting a little…strange.

"I'm a Mew silly!" Ken laughed, spinning around in the air playfully. "You know that! Oooh! Is this a new game? I like games! Let's play Monopoly! I call the doggie!"

Chris stood there, mouth open, as Ken continued to rattle on about all the games they could play, the truth of the situation finally sinking in.

Ken's personality had split.

Worse yet, Ken's personality had split, and they now had a very playful Mew hybrid on their hands who didn't seem to realize that there was anything wrong.

_Oh boy, this can __**not**__ be good!_

"And checkers! I LOVE checkers! Do you like checkers Chris? Chris? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Um, could you give me just one second?" Chris asked, glancing over at Danny. He noticed the Mew hybrids ears droop and sighed. "Just _one minute_ and then we'll play any game you want."

Ken's eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically, flying off to go play with the bubbles he'd created and leaving Chris to explain the situation to Danny.

* * *

"Ok, so I screwed up," Danny sighed after Chris relayed Ken's conversation to him. "In my defense, it was bound to happen anyway. I probably just…helped it along a bit."

"Danny this is serious!" Chris growled, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the Mew hybrid, who was trying to catch his tail. "My buddy just lost his mind, and all you have to say is, 'Oh well, it was bound to happen eventually'?"

"Hey, relax," Danny assured him with a wave of his hand. "His personality _split_, it's not like it was replaced or anything. He'll go back to normal eventually. You just have to wait."

"We don't have _time_ for that!" Chris growled, fists clenched. "That could take days, or weeks, or even-"

"Chris calm down, you're getting yourself worked up over nothing."

"_Nothing_? My friend is-"

"He's still Ken," Danny pointed out, causing Chris to go silent. "This is just a different part of his personality-the Pokémon half. It's not like he's going to forget who he is or anything."

Chris nodded his head slightly, but deep down, wasn't so sure. Ken was already convinced that he was a Pokémon, something that he'd always been quick to deny. Just what else had changed about him during the personality split?

"Chri-is! Are you _done _yet?" Ken whined, floating over to his friend, a frown on his face. "I'm boooored!" Chris face palmed, not sure how he was going to deal with Ken's new personality change. The Mew hybrid frowned and floated over to Chris, a confused look on his face. "What's the matter Chris? Do you not like me anymore?"

Chris normally would have laughed at such a question, but the Mew hybrid looked genuinely hurt. "Of course I do, you're my friend," he replied, causing Ken's eyes to light up. "I just…don't think there are any games here," he explained, deciding that it would be best to discuss the personality split when Ken's human half decided to pop back in again.

Ken's face fell. "Oh…" he said, sounding very disappointed.

"Didn't you say that you were going to play with Zoey?" Chris asked, hoping to keep Ken happy.

Ken's expression instantly brightened. "Oh yeah! Come on Zoey, let's go play!"

"Yaaaay!" the little Clefairy cried out, running after Ken as the two engaged in a game of tag.

* * *

As the hours passed, Chris watched the pair with an amused smile. They played everything from tag to hide and seek, and even managed to get Sora involved on a couple occasions. Zoey didn't seem to mind Ken's sudden personality change, or else didn't notice. Sora seemed a bit concerned at first but soon forgot about it, glad to see Ken so happy.

While the three played, true to his word, Danny began to train Shade, who made slow but steady progress.

"So then the Bug Catcher says, I can't believe it's not butter!" Ken announced, causing Sora and Zoey to burst out laughing.

Chris smiled; he had to admit, Ken did know some pretty good jokes.

Suddenly the Mew hybrids eyes went blank and he toppled from the air, landing hard on his tail.

"YOW!" Sitting up, he began to rub the furry appendage, glancing around the room as if he had no idea where he was. "Chris? What just happened? How did I manage to fall on my tail?" He glanced around, looking thoroughly confused. "Where'd my food go?"

Chris let out a sigh of relief, realizing that Ken was back to normal-at least for the time being. "Well, it's a little hard to explain…"

* * *

"So you're saying that my personality split? And I flew and everything?"

Chris nodded. "You don't remember?"

Ken shook his head. "The last thing I remember is trying some of that Pokémon Food…" His eyes narrowed, and he grabbed Danny roughly by the shirt collar, ignoring his cry of shock. "You poisoned me! Why you no good-"

"Ken calm down!" Chris cried, forcibly prying the angry Mew hybrid off the Daycare Dude. "Look, if you keep bottling your Pokémon instincts up inside, eventually their gonna find a way out! You understand?"

Slowly, Ken nodded, although he didn't really look happy. "First I start turning into a Pokémon and now this? What's next? Am I going to start shrinking?"

"I really wouldn't say that Ken," Chris chuckled. "You just might."

Ken's eyes widened and he let out a long heavy sigh. "Can we just get to Vermillion City?"

Chris laughed and nodded.

After picking up Shade, who had learned Tackle and Flail under Danny's care, and thanking Danny, who apologized repeatedly for Ken's recent personality issues, the group continued on their way to Vermillion City.

* * *

Author's notes: Ok, first off I'd like to apologize to all of my readers for the late update, I've been having a bit of writers block. ^_^;

Ken: I'll say! This thing just won't DIE! *pulls out flamethrower and starts torching the hideous monster*

So while Ken is working on getting my writers block back into its cage, I hope all of you will bear with me and I thank you for your patience. Also, I know it's taken thirty-five chapters and Ken _still _hasn't made it to Vermillion City, but rest assured, next chapter will involve Ken finally making it to Vermillion and the plot should pick up then.

Ken: That's what you said _last chapter_!

Me: I _know _that, but I mean it this time!

Ken: We'll see. *pulls out mallet* Ok writers block, it's either you or me!

Writers block: *lets out a deafening roar, causing the room to shake*

Tyson: Don't worry, I brought the cage! *motions to gigantic cage*

Me: Great, Tyson's here! Now the two of you can work together to get it in the cage! ^_^

Writers block: *growls*

Tyson: *sweatdrops* I hope this thing doesn't show up when you update my fanfic…

Me: Don't worry, if it does, Ken will help you! ^_^

Anyway, I'm not sure if this is my best chapter, but I'll let all of you be the judge of that! :)

See ya! :)


	37. Chapter 36: The Rocky Road to Vermillion

Chapter 36: The Rocky Road to Vermillion

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE ROADS CLOSED?"

The guard didn't even bat an eye at the very angry Mew hybrid, instead shrugging his shoulders in response. "Sorry, but the road is currently off limits to the public."

"But we have to get to Vermillion City!" Ken explained, ears twitching in annoyance. "You're telling me that we came all this way and-"

"Look, calm down, will you?" the man sighed, rubbing his temples. "If you're headed to Vermillion, you can just take the underground path; it'll take you strait there."

Ken's ears immediately perked up. "Really?"

The guard nodded. "The entrance is up a little ways ahead, you can't miss it."

"Ok thanks," Ken replied, heading in the other direction towards the underground path, followed by Chris.

The man calmly watched them go, then when he was sure that Ken was out of earshot, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a walkie-talkie.

"The Mew Boy is headed your way, be sure that he gets a ticket for the SS Anne."

"Not a problem," the voice at the other end replied, sounding confident. "I've already dispatched two of our less important Team Rocket members to handle the task."

The man frowned, looking uncertain. "Which two?"

"Oh, just a couple of idiots who are long due for a success. Don't worry, they can't _possibly _screw this one up. Besides, they don't really fit the typical Team Rocket mold, which is precisely what we need: someone who doesn't broadcast 'I'm from Team Rocket.' Trust me, this mission will be a complete success."

"It had better be. The boss would be furious if this operation were to fail."

"Don't worry, one of our best agents is already stationed in Vermillion City. Everything is going according to plan."

"Good. Keep it that way," the man growled, hanging up the walkie-talkie. He chuckled to himself, an evil grin spreading its way across his face. _Nowhere to run now, Mew Boy. We have you right where we want you. _

* * *

"Are you _sure_ this is an actual path?" Ken asked, reluctantly climbing down the stairs and into the sewer-like tunnel. "It doesn't look very..._sanitary._"

"Well, the map says it is," Chris replied, squinting at the map before shoving it into his backpack. Still, he had to admit, Ken was right. The long and winding tunnel was dimly lit and had every characteristic of a sewer.

"This place smells funny!" Sora complained, staring at their surroundings in disgust.

Ken took a cautious sniff, then immediately wished he hadn't. "I know Sora, let's just try to get through here as quickly as possible, ok?"

Sora nodded, and the group headed deeper into the tunnel…

* * *

"Life is a highway! I wanna ride it all night long!"

"Chris, cut it out," Ken sighed, reaching up and covering his sensitive ears.

"Just trying to lighten the mood," Chris replied with a shrug. "Is my singing really that bad?"

"It's not really _your _singing that I have a problem with," Ken groaned, as the Larvitar on Chris's shoulder continued to sing horribly out of tune.

"I told you," Arch sighed, already putting up a soundproof psychic barrier around himself.

Jerry, who was walking ahead to provide them with some extra light, suddenly stopped and stood stock-still. "S-something's out their!" he stammered, backing up nervously.

The group stopped and strained their hearing, and found that they could make out the sound of something _moving_, accompanied by an odd squishing sound. Ken, whose hearing was a bit better than the others, was able to make out something more.

"Get out…Get out…"

"M-maybe we should leave," Ken stammered, slowly backing away in the direction he had come, only to realize that whatever it was, was coming from that direction too.

As whatever it was continued to approach, the sound got louder, and one could just make out the outline of many blob-like shapes.

"GHOSTS!" Jerry cried, latching onto Chris's leg, flames igniting.

Arch rolled his eyes. "Please. What would ghosts be doing in a _sewer_?"

"Haunting…" Jerry muttered, scuffing the floor with his foot and not meeting the Ralts's gaze.

Arch was about to make a comment when the shapes stepped into the light, revealing themselves to be Grimer. _Hundreds _of them.

Cautiously, Ken took a step forward, trying very hard not to breathe in their scent; the stench was overpowering. "Um…hi, we're just passing through. Could you let us pass please?"

"Intruders…" the Grimer growled, inching closer to them, leaving a trail of toxic sludge in their wake.

"Um Ken, something tells me that they're not going to listen," Chris remarked nervously, as the hoard of angry Grimer began to surround them.

"Get out…Get **OUT**!" the sludge-like Pokémon growled, closing in on the group.

In desperation, Ken pulled out Zoey's Pokeball, knowing that he would have to fight his way out of this. Tossing the red and white orb, Zoey appeared in flash of light, then immediately began to look sick.

"Ewww! It's stinky in here!" she cried, covering her mouth. "Zoey want's back in the magic ball!"

"I know Zoey, but could you please try and use Meteor Mash? We're kind of in trouble here!" Ken frantically explained, the hoard of Grimer mere inchers from them.

Zoey nodded, removed her hands from her mouth to ready a punch, then, looking green in the face, rushed over to her Pokeball and hit the button, returning herself.

"That went well," Arch snickered, blasting away several Grimer with his Confusion attack.

Ken stared at the Pokeball in his hand and sighed. Apparently, Zoey was too sensitive to foul odors to battle in those kinds of conditions. Well, she was still young. Maybe she just didn't know how to handle it yet. He glanced at Sora, who gave him a look that clearly asked if he had lost it, and sighed.

_Well, Sora's attacks wouldn't be that effective anyway,_ he realized, as Arch blasted several more Grimer into a nearby wall. He fingered Shades Pokeball consideringly for a moment, then decided that Tackle and Flail weren't likely to do much damage either.

Jerry joined in the fight to help Arch, launching Swift at any Grimer that dared to get too close, but it was clear that they were fighting a losing battle.

"Now would be a good time to tap into those psychic powers Ken!" Chris cried out, as Jerry knocked a Grimer away from him with a Flame Wheel.

"I would if I could, but I don't know how!" Ken cried, ducking as a glob of Sludge went sailing over his head. Sora glanced at Ken worriedly for a moment, before reluctantly jumping down and hitting the nearest Grimer with her Vine Whip. _Thank you Sora, _Ken thought to himself gratefully as he watched his little Bulbasaur try to defend him, but it was clear that even with her help, it wasn't going to be enough.

Kyo watched his friends battling, feeling rather useless and wishing that he could do something to help. Finally, he could take it no more, and jumped off of Chris's shoulder.

"ROCK SLIDE!"

The whole tunnel fell silent.

"Chris, please tell me that Kyo did not just use Rock Slide inside of a _building_?"

The group watched in horror as chunks of the walls began to break off, crashing down onto the Grimer below. There was a low rumble as several cracks began to form on the walls and they began to break apart at an alarming rate.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" Chris screamed, as the building began to literally fall to pieces around them.

Human and Grimer alike were in a panic, trying as hard as they could to get to the exit in time.

_We're not gonna make it! _Ken thought to himself, as the ceiling began to crumble. Then, just as their seemed to be no hope, Ken spotted light up ahead. Putting on a burst of speed, Ken dashed out of the tunnel, followed by hundreds of Grimer, just as the building came tumbling down.

"Sorry," Kyo muttered meekly, looking pretty shaken up by the whole thing.

Ken sat on the ground panting, his hair and clothing covered with slime. Slowly, he glanced over at Kyo, right ear twitching once. "Kyo, never do that again," he said at last. "_Ever_."

The little Larvitar nodded, then collapsed into the grass, grateful that everybody had made it out in one piece.

* * *

"Well, we're finally here!" Chris laughed, as he and Ken made their way into Vermillion City.

Ken nodded. They had almost died and were covered in Sludge, but they had made it.

Walking into the Pokémon Center, they were immediately met with several knowing looks and sympathetic frowns.

"Let me guess," Nurse Joy sighed, as she took their Pokémon to be healed. "You took the underground path?" Ken and Chris nodded, making a mental note to _never _go through an underground path again. Nurse Joy shook her head. "It was never the best means of getting to Vermillion City, but ever since the Grimer showed up, things have gotten much worse." She looked them over, crinkling her nose. "Why don't we get your clothes washed for you? We'll get them fixed up and I'm sure the two you will want to shower." Ken and Chris nodded eagerly. Nurse Joy laughed. "Ok, just put your things outside your door and we'll get right on it."

The two took their room keys from Nurse Joy and headed up to their rooms, stripping out of their dirty clothes almost as soon as they'd entered the door.

_This is so gross! _Ken sighed, applying a liberal amount of shampoo to his hair.

After spending what felt like an eternity cleaning off all the grime, Ken dried off, put on a bathrobe, and went out into the hallway to see if his clothes had been delivered yet. Glancing across the hall, he saw that Chris had had the same idea.

"So…when do you think our clothes will be here?" Ken asked, feeling more than a little awkward standing there in nothing but a bathrobe.

Chris shrugged. "Depends on how many Trainers are using the Pokémon Centers washing machine." Suddenly his eyes widened. "That coat is dry clean only!"

Ken face palmed as the Rigigigas hybrid took off running towards the front desk, then shook his head and went back to his room.

A few minutes later, he heard a knock on the door and opened it to find his clothes folded in a neat pile. Taking his clothes back inside, he got dressed and headed downstairs, Chris already waiting for him.

"Well, they didn't dry clean it, but I think it should be fine," Chris sighed, running a hand over the material of the heavy fur coat.

"Why do you wear that thing?" Ken asked, regarding his friend strangely. "It's _spring_. As in, it's _warm out_."

Chris shrugged, looking rather embarrassed. "Force of habit, I guess. It's always freezing cold in Snowpoint." The Mew hybrid nodded, though he still had a strange look on his face. "Uhh…wanna check out the sights?" Chris asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Sure, we've got a couple days to spare so we might as well," Ken replied with a shrug.

So the two decided to check out some of the city's major landmarks, the first stop on the agenda being the Pokémon Fan Club.

"I told you, Pikachu is the best!" a man insisted, the Pikachu on his shoulder nodding its head in agreement.

"My Seel is _so _much cuter!" the woman seated across from him snapped, pulling her Seel closer to her. "It squeals when I hug it!"

"Help!" the Seel cried, looking as it were being smothered.

Ken blinked, beginning to wonder if coming there was such a good idea. After all, here were a couple of grown adults arguing over how cute their Pokémon were, and the woman appeared to be strangling her Seel to death. He was just about to leave when a voice rose up loudly above the others.

"Hey everybody, it's the Mew Boy!"

In an instant all eyes were on him. Then there was a squeal, and before Ken had the chance to react he was pounced on by a mob of teenage girls.

"Sooo cuuute!" a girl squealed, wrapping Ken in a huge hug and causing him to blush heavily.

_Holy crap, the fan girls are attacking! _Ken thought to himself, letting out a yelp as one girl grabbed hold of his tail rather roughly. He was about to ask Chris to have Arch Teleport him out of there, preferring losing his lunch to losing an arm or leg, when a man called out, his voice stern.

"Now, now, ladies, let's let the poor boy breathe, shall we?" The girls let out cries of disappointment, but did as asked.

With a gasp of air, Ken took a moment to get over that terrifying experience, looking up when he heard someone chuckle.

A man stood before him dressed in fine clothes. His hair was beginning to grey, and he had an apologetic, though slightly amused, smile on his face.

"I'm terribly sorry young man. You see, Mew is a big favorite at this fan club."

"Really? Mew never would've guessed," Ken replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"I really am sorry you had to go through that," the man continued, ignoring the giggles of the fan girls as they muttered about how Ken's speech was so "kawaii." "As the chairman of this fan club, I simply must make it up to you somehow…Ah! Perhaps this will do?" he laughed, handing Ken what appeared to be some sort of coupon. "It's a bike voucher," the chairman explained, noticing Ken's confused expression. "You can turn it in to the Bike Shop in Cerulean City in exchange for a free bike!"

"_Really_?" Ken asked, surprised that the man was giving him something so valuable.

"Yes, that's right!" the chairman laughed. Noticing Ken's guilty expression, he added, "Don't worry, my beloved Fearow will carry me anywhere I need to go!"

Ken smiled and thanked the man, hurrying out of the Pokémon Fan Club before someone could take his spleen.

* * *

After a brief stop at the post office, which Ken refused to discuss the reason behind, the duo decided to check out Vermillion Harbor, the spot the town was most famous for.

"I thought the SS Anne wasn't due for a couple of days?" Ken asked, as the harbor swarmed with people.

"It isn't; Vermillion Harbor gets visited by ships from all over the world," Chris explained, gesturing towards the name printed on the side of the ship, _The SS Kyogre_. "I think that ships' from the Hoenn Region."

"Hoenn?" Ken asked, confused. "What would someone from Hoenn be doing in Kanto?"

"On vacation most likely," Chris explained, motioning to all the people with cameras. "They're just here to see the sights."

"I'M FINALLY HERE!"

Ken and Chris looked up to see a boy of around fifteen making his way down the dock, green eyes dancing with excitement. He wore a pair of jeans along with a red T-shirt over a white undershirt, and a pair of plain white tennis shoes. His long blue hair went down to about his waist, although Ken was sure that there was something funny about it.

He took a brief glance around, spotted Ken and Chris, and hurriedly began to make his way over.

"It's so good to finally meet you!" he cried, green eyes sparkling with excitement. He then took Ken's hand and began to shake it, catching the Mew hybrid completely by surprise. "My name is Marik and I was hoping to ask you a few things if you would Mew Boy."

"For _the last time_, my name is Ken and I'm not…" Ken began, trailing off as he noticed the pair of antenna sticking up from the other boy's head. They were rather long and the exact same color as his hair. Honestly, Ken wouldn't have even noticed them if they hadn't decided to stand up, waving about excitedly.

Marik followed Ken's gaze, glancing up at his antenna and sighing before smoothing them back into place. "Well, was wondering how I was going to tell you that, but ok, that works! Marik the Manaphy hybrid, that's me!" he laughed, running a hand through his long blue hair.

Ken stared in disbelief at the teen as information on Manaphy began to fill his head, much as it had when he'd met Chris and Celebi. Discovering that as long as he didn't fight it, it didn't bother him, he asked the one question that was most on his mind. "How in the world did that happen?"

"Well, to make a long and weird story short, I died."

"_What?" _Ken and Chris asked, confused.

Marik nodded. "Yep, I died almost immediately after birth. Fortunately for me, Manaphy showed up and used Heart Swap, transferring a tiny bit of his soul into me, saving my life." He paused, running a hand over one of his antenna. "Of course, such a procedure was not without its side effects." He stared off into space, a thoughtful look on his face. "I was human once, but it was far too long ago for me to remember. I suppose I'm not _technically _a natural born hybrid, but this is all I've ever known, I can't remember what it was like before." He looked a little depressed for a moment, before his expression quickly brightened. "So that's my story, how 'bout you? Did your mom, you know, do the deed with Mew?"

Ken's face flushed red with anger at the fact that this stranger would refer to something like that so casually, and he grabbed hold of Marik's antenna, giving them a hard yank.

"Don't you _dare_ talk about my mother that way!" Ken growled, pulling on the Manaphy hybrid's antenna as hard as he could.

"Yow! Hey that hurts!" Marik protested, attempting to pull away from Ken, but to no avail. "Seriously, let go! I didn't mean it that way!"

Suddenly, the ends of his antenna began to glow pink, bright pink tendrils of energy snaking their way over to Ken and Chris. Ken felt very strange for a moment, before he found himself no longer standing in front of Marik. He glanced over to where he had been, only to see himself holding onto Marik's antenna, also looking extremely confused.

"What the…?" Chris asked, his voice coming out of Ken's body. He slowly released his hold on Marik's antenna, looking lost.

Seeing this, Ken glanced down at himself to find that he was most definitely in Chris's body. "What did you _do_?" he demanded, walking over to the Manaphy hybrid and nearly falling flat on his face. He was having a bit of difficulty balancing without a tail.

Chris, on the other hand, appeared to be having troubles of his own controlling Ken's tail, and the furry pink appendage was whipping about wildly, leaving Chris at a loss on what he was supposed to do.

"Ken, how do you get it to stop moving?" Chris demanded, clearly trying to gain control of the tail, but having no such luck.

"You don't," Ken replied with a sigh. "Just stop trying and let it move on its own."

The tail suddenly halted in its wild dance and began to gently sway from side to side in its usual manner, causing Chris to sigh in relief.

The two then turned to Marik, neither of them looking very happy.

"Um…oops?" Marik muttered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oops? I swap bodies with my best friend and all you have to say is 'oops'?" Ken demanded, fists clenched.

"Um…yes?" Marik replied with a shrug, clearly not understanding just how angry Ken was at that moment. Chris could tell just by looking at him that, were he in his own body, Ken's right ear would be twitching out of control by now.

"I'm sure it was an accident," Chris offered, hoping to avoid a fight. After all, he knew for a fact that with Ken's temper and his body, the Manaphy hybrid was more than likely going to be beaten to a pulp.

"It's a defense mechanism," Marik explained, taking a nervous step back as ken continued to glare daggers at him. "It's not my fault you decided to pull on my antenna like an idiot!"

"THAT'S IT!"

Chris face palmed as Ken began to chase the very freaked out Manaphy hybrid, only to fall flat on his face seconds later.

"It might take a while to get used to the other person's body," Marik explained, not even bothering to try to contain his laughter.

Ken lifted himself up off the ground, an angry glare on his face. "Chris! Your body doesn't work right!"

"_Excuse me? _My body works just fine!" Chris snapped, tail twitching in irritation. He glanced back at the furry appendage and sighed. "How in the world can you stand this thing? It never. Stops. Moving!"

"Well _duh,_" Ken sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's a _tail_. What, did you expect it just to hang there and _not move_?"

"No," Chris snapped, irritated that his friend wasn't getting what he was trying to say, "but I didn't expect to be able to _feel it moving!_"

Ken simply stared at Chris, unable to believe what he had just said. "Chris, that's like saying you didn't think you'd be able to feel your arm move!"

"What? That's not even remotely the same thing!" Chris countered, growing irritated.

"Yes it is!"

"No it isn't!"

"How would you know?" Ken demanded, glaring hard at Chris. "You don't even _have _a tail!"

"I do now!"

Both teens paused, the subject they were arguing about apparently finally having registered. Slowly, they turned towards Marik, who had been watching their argument with interest and more than a little amusement. The Manaphy hybrid flinched as he came under their gaze, and began to back away, laughing nervously.

"Fix this," Ken finally said, as calmly as he could, though his voice still radiated anger.

"Um…well, about that," Marik began, beginning to nervously fiddle with one of his antenna. "I, uh, can't."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T?" Ken and Chris demanded, eyes wide with shock.

"Hey, relax! It'll wear off on its own after a while, though I can't say when exactly," Marik explained, waving his hand dismissively as he proceeded to smooth his antenna back into place amongst his hair. "Just think of it as a unique experience!"

"I've already been several Pokémon!" Ken protested, quickly losing his patience. "I don't need to turn into my best friend too!"

Marik merely shrugged. "Sorry, not my problem. Maybe next time you'll learn not to pull on my antenna, huh?" And with that, he turned to head towards the Pokémon Center, only to be grabbed by Ken.

"Oh no you don't! You're staying right here until we're back to normal!" Ken growled, holding the Manaphy hybrid firmly by the shoulders.

"If that's what you want," Marik replied with a shrug, a small grin visible on his face.

Chris sighed, unable to shake the feeling that Marik had never really wanted to leave in the first place.

* * *

"So, you're sure that this is just going to wear off on its own?" Ken asked the Manaphy hybrid, who was currently staring out at the ocean.

"Of course! I've done this sort of thing many times before!" Marik replied with a wave of his hand, turning back to the ocean with a dreamy look on his face. "Isn't the ocean _wonderful?_"

Ken and Chris simply stared, not really sure what the big deal was, although Ken had to admit, the ocean did make him feel…something. What that something _was _exactly though, he wasn't entirely sure.

_Maybe it's a Mew thing, _he considered, turning his gaze towards the vast expanse of water. _Wait, if I'm in Chris's body, wouldn't that make it a Regigigas thing? No, that doesn't make sense! Maybe Chris has a thing for the ocean and he never told me about it? But even though I'm in Chris's body I'm still me, right? Does that mean that the Mew part of me is still here too? Man, this is so confusing! _Ken let out a groan, ready to tear his, er, Chris's hair out.

"Try to relax Ken," Chris sighed, attempting to ignore the ever moving appendage that was Ken's tail. "Getting all worked up about it isn't going to solve anything."

"Yeah, Ken. Besides, it really isn't that different from all those times that you used Transform!" Sora pointed out, causing Ken to groan once more.

"I really didn't like _that_ either."

Chris, Sora, and Marik began to laugh, their laughter ending abruptly seconds later by three words that Ken wished desperately that he hadn't just heard.

"Hello, Mew Boy."

Ken's breath caught in his throat, and he turned slowly towards the sound of the voice, only to see that the person in question was talking to Chris.

_Oh yeah, I'm in Chris's body,_ Ken realized, face palming. _Of course everybody is going to think that he's-uh oh. _Ken quickly turned back to his friend, fearing that Team Rocket had found them yet again, and was relieved to see that Chris was currently conversing with a pair of teenage girls.

"Like, I'm so glad we caught up to you! See, we work for a travel agency and, like, accidentally booked too many tickets for the SS Anne! So we were wondering if you would, like, take them off our hands?"

"Um…" Chris muttered, apparently not having registered that he was the Mew Boy they were talking about.

"Like, it'll be fun! They're hosting a big party!"

"Cool!" the second girl chimed in.

"And they'll be snacks!"

"Cool!"

"And lots of Trainers and Pokémon!"

"Cool!"

"And all kinds of old junk left over from past voyages!"

"Cool!"

"So, like, here you go!" the first girl laughed, handing the ticket to a very confused looking Chris.

"Cool!" the second girl said again, only to be dragged off by the first, more than a little roughly.

"Like, we gotta go! Have fun!"

"Coo—I mean, uhh, bye!"

The two then hurried off, leaving Chris staring at the ticket in surprise. "Ok…that was easy…"

Ken nodded, though he couldn't shake the feeling that there had been something strangely familiar about the two girls…

* * *

In the bushes nearby, the two teenage girls watched the scene with interest, evil grins on their faces.

"This plan is going to be a complete success!" Jessie laughed, pulling off her wig. "He didn't even recognize us!"

"About that," James muttered, as he too, removed his wig. "Why is it that I had to dress up like a girl?"

"Cause you already got the looks for it!" Meowth offered, making his way over to his teammates.

"Oh, thank you!" James laughed. Seconds later his smile faded. "Hey! Wait a minute—"

"Oh, be quiet James!" Jessie snapped, waving her hand to silence him. "The important thing is that he fell for it!"

"Da Boss is gonna be so happy! We might finally get a promotion!" Meowth exclaimed, eyes gleaming excitedly.

* * *

Elsewhere, a certain Team Rocket Supervisor was watching Ken and the others carefully, an evil smirk on his face.

_Don't think that you can get away with all the trouble you've caused me, Mew Boy! _he sneered, grip tightening on his Sandslash's Pokeball. _The Boss has big plans for you. Yes, big plans indeed! _"Hahahahahahahaha!"

"Mommy," a little boy asked, tugging on the sleeve of his mother's shirt, "why is that man in a bush?"

"Just keep walking sweetheart and don't make eye contact!" the woman instructed, taking her son firmly by the hand and leading him away from where the Team Rocket Supervisor sat laughing like a maniac.

* * *

In yet another location, a Persian sat curled up in its master's lap, the man gently patting its head, causing it to purr.

"Soon," the man chuckled, "I will control the most powerful Pokémon on earth! Then all will tremble beneath the might of Team Rocket!" Turning his head, he regarded the man tied to a chair nearby, a look of amusement on his face. "What do you think of that Professor?"

"Ken isn't a Pokémon!" Professor Oak snapped, struggling to break free of the ropes that bound him, but to no avail.

The man smiled, though it was a cruel smile. "We have ways of fixing that. Still, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get an idea of what my future _pet _is capable of." Turning his chair around, he picked up a nearby phone and began dialing. Seconds later, there was the sound of someone picking up, but Professor Oak was unable to distinguish any more than that. "Yes, it's me. You recall me telling you about the Mew Boy, correct?"

A pause.

"Yes, well I would like a proper assessment done on his powers."

Another pause.

"Yes, it wouldn't do if they weren't up to speed, but judging by what he did to Persian, that shouldn't be a problem," the man continued, running a hand over Persian's head, who growled at the memory. Unknown to his master, it had actually been a group of Pikachu that had injured him back in Viridian Forest, but he certainly wasn't going to admit to that. "Still, there is always room for…improvement, and I would like to know what I'm up against."

A long pause.

"Yes, see that it is done." There was a click and the man hung up the phone, turning to Professor Oak with an evil grin on his face. "Well Professor, let's discuss why you are here. We no longer need to know his location, so you are no use to us there." The Persian let out a growl and unsheathed its claws, causing Professor Oak to flinch. "However, it is my understanding that you know what is causing the Mew Boy to become more like a Pokémon." The man stood up, and looked Professor Oak straight in the eye, his expression deathly serious. "I would like you to share that information with us, if you'd be so kind."

"Never!" Professor Oak growled, staring back at his kidnapper defiantly.

The man frowned and walked over to Professor Oak, his gaze as cold as ice. "Perhaps you did not understand me," the man growled, taking Professor Oak firmly by the shoulders and giving them a painful squeeze, causing him to wince. "That was not a request; it was an order. Now, you will tell me what I want to know, or else, I will _personally _make your stay here a very painful one!"

Professor Oak stared right back, as defiant as ever. "I'll never tell a dirty crook like you anything about Ken!"

The man looked outraged for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "If that is how you want it." He turned to leave, followed by his Persian. "Just so you know, if you won't tell us, we will find a way to make him into a Pokémon ourselves and I can't guarantee that his sanity will remain intact."

And with that, he left Professor Oak alone in the room, his cruel laughter echoing into the halls.

* * *

Author's notes: Ok, so Ken is _finally _in Vermillion City! *pulls string and balloons and confetti fall from the ceiling* Yaaay! And it only took…thirty-six chapters… ^_^; Ok, well now that he's actually _in _Vermillion City, things should start to get good! :)

Ken: That's what you said _last chapter_!

Me: And it did, didn't it?

Ken: Depends on your idea of good. Personally, this was not my favorite chapter: I get attacked by Grimer, have a roof dropped on me, get Heart Swapped with my best friend, and now Team Rocket has plans for me that can't possibly end well! Does nothing good _ever _happen to me?

Me: We've been over this Ken; I can't just give you a happy ending right away, that's boring! Besides, you made a friend!

Marik: Hi Ken! Looks like I might be joining you in the authors notes section soon! ^_^

Ken: Why do all of my so called "friends" only seem to drive me nuts?

Marik: Because that's what friends are for!

Ok Trainers, for those of you who guessed Manaphy, you were right! :) Yes, Marik is a Manaphy hybrid. I really think I'm going to have a lot of fun writing his character.

Marik: I'm very charismatic. I'm also single. *winks*

Me: No flirting with the audience!

Marik: But—

Me: No!

Marik: *pouts*

Anyway, thanks for reading everybody! Sorry it took so long, but hopefully it was worth the wait. As usual, comments and questions are welcome! :)


	38. Chapter 37: Your Up and Your Down

Chapter 37: Your Up and Your Down

"So, I've been meaning to ask you something," Marik began as the three of them began making their way back towards the Pokémon Center. Suddenly he stopped, turned around, and fixed Ken and Chris with a begging look. "Can I travel with you? _Please?_"

"What? No you can't travel with us!" Ken growled, pushing his way passed the shocked Manaphy hybrid.

"Why not?" Marik whined, hurrying after the irritable teen. "Come on, let me come! I'll be your best friend!"

"You already Heart Swapped me with my best friend!"

Marik blinked as if the fact that Ken was still in Chris's body had just occurred to him. "Oh yeah…You're not still mad about that are you?"

Ken turned around, fixing the blue haired teen with an intense glare. "What do _you_ think?"

Marik said nothing, but still continued to follow Ken and Chris at what he deemed to be a safe distance.

* * *

"You know, I really should call Mom and Professor Oak," Ken muttered thoughtfully as he entered the Pokémon Center, then sighed. "If I was actually me right now that is." He turned to chew Marik out once again, then groaned when he spotted the Manaphy hybrid chatting with a nearby girl who looked disgusted.

"This isn't going to end well," Chris muttered, shaking his head. Ken nodded in agreement. Seconds later the girl slapped the Manaphy hybrid across the face and stormed out of the Pokémon Center looking furious.

"She loves me!" Marik giggled as he rubbed his sore cheek, a dreamy look in his eyes.

Ken and Chris exchanged glances. "We are _not_ inviting him to travel with us!" Ken insisted, arms crossed. "Never in a million years!"

"Ken look at him," Chris sighed, motioning towards the Manaphy hybrid, who was already eyeing another girl who happened to be nearby. "He probably came all the way out here just to meet someone else like him. I know that before I heard about you, I thought I was the only one."

"Yeah, I thought that too," Ken admitted, recalling how lonely he had been, and how things had improved since he had met Chris. "All right, fine! He can come with us!" Ken sighed, not missing Chris's triumphant expression. "But there had better not be any more Heart Swapping!"

"You're a creep!" the girl shouted, slapping the Manaphy hybrid across the face and making way to the other end of the Pokémon Center.

"Call me!" Marik giggled, holding his other cheek and grinning like an idiot.

Ken glanced at Chris, who shrugged. Seconds later, Ken began to feel very strange as pink tendrils of light snaked their way from his body to Chris's and vice versa. Blinking in confusion, he was relieved to find himself back in his own body.

"Well, that's a relief," Ken sighed, running a hand through his short pink hair, for once glad to feel the familiar presence of his ears.

"Tell me about it," Chris agreed. "Your tail was driving me crazy!"

"Hey guys, she was cute, huh?" Marik laughed, walking over to them, then nodding his head as if he were taking note of something. "Hmm…that didn't last nearly as long as I thought it would. Gotta say, it would've been interesting if the two of you had to spend the night in each other's bodies!"

Ken gave Chris a look, but he ignored it and instead proceeded to address the Manaphy hybrid. "So, we've talked it over, and we've decided that we'd love to have you join us."

Marik's green eyes lit up and he immediately wrapped Ken and Chris in a huge hug, much to the formers annoyance.

"Oh thank you! I promise to be the best friend you ever had!" he gushed, his antenna waving about excitedly. He took a step towards the front desk, grinning ear to ear. "Just let me get my room, and then I'll be right with you! Why hello, Nurse Joy! Lovely weather, isn't it?"

Ken and Chris sighed, getting the feeling that Marik was going to be a while.

* * *

From outside the Pokémon Center, a certain Team Rocket Supervisor was watching the scene, a look of surprise and confusion on his face. His eyes widened even more when he saw the pair of antenna spring up from the head of the seemingly normal teenage boy.

_There are more of these Pokémon people? _he thought to himself, unable to believe what he was seeing. _Hmm…when there was just the one, I didn't think too much of it, but now there's this kid. And why is it that they don't seem to be changing? _he wondered, recalling how the Regigigas Boy looked the same as he did back at Mt. Moon, while the Mew Boy looked distinctly more like a Pokémon. _It just doesn't make any sense! What's different about him than the other two? There must be something different about him, otherwise this wouldn't be happening. The question is, what?_

With one last look at the Pokémon Center, the Team Rocket Supervisor slipped unnoticed into the shadows…

* * *

Back in Ken's room, the newly formed group of three was taking a little snack break.

"Oh my God this is _delicious_!" Ken sighed, eyes wide with delight. "What did you say it was called again?"

"Pokéblock," Marik replied, popping one of the tiny cubes into his own mouth. "Their very popular back in Hoenn."

"We have something like them in Sinnoh called Poffin," Chris explained, taking one for himself. "Their probably the only Pokémon Food that I'd actually eat."

Ken paused mid chew and glanced over at Marik, an irritated look on his face. Swallowing, he turned to the Manaphy hybrid, looking none too happy.

"Why does everybody think I only eat Pokémon Food?" he demanded, tail twitching in irritation.

"Relax, will you?" Marik replied with a shrug. "I eat Pokéblocks all the time! They're kind of like sweet tarts."

"A Poffin is kind of like a cookie, despite the name," Chris added, taking another Pokéblock. "Tell me, what kind do you usually make?"

"My specialty is blue Pokéblocks, though I try to make ones that my Pokémon will like. And you?"

"That kind of depends, none of my Pokémon seem to be able to agree on Poffin flavors," Chris explained, to which Marik nodded.

"Sapphire is the definition of a picky eater," Marik sighed, rolling his eyes. "Seems like no matter what I do, she hates everything I make!"

"Sapphire?" Ken asked, finally finding a piece of the conversation that he could perhaps relate to. "Is she your Pokémon?"

Marik nodded. "My only Pokémon, actually." He reached onto his belt, pulling out a Pokeball, a smile on his face. "Want to meet her?"

"Sure," Ken and Chris said, eager to get the chance to see a Pokémon from the Hoenn region.

Marik tossed the Pokeball, which burst open when it hit the flour to reveal a small blue fish like Pokémon with orange gills on its cheeks.

"Isn't she just the cutest little Mudkip you've ever seen?" Marik gushed, scooping the Pokémon into his arms and cuddling her. Sapphire, on the other hand, looked none too thrilled at having been picked up, and began to struggle in his arms.

Pulling out his Pokedex, Ken pointed it at the tiny Pokémon, only to be met with the same message: "Pokémon unknown. Would you like to check the national list?"

"A Mudkip is one of the starter Pokémon available to Trainers from Hoenn," Marik explained, trying and failing to stifle a laugh. Growing tired of being held, Sapphire opened her mouth and proceeded to blast her Trainer in the face with a Water Gun before jumping down, looking annoyed. "She's also a bit of a tomboy and hates being cuddled and held," Marik added, casting an irritated glance at his Pokémon, who shrugged.

"That reminds me, I've been meaning to give Professor Oak a call and have my Pokedex updated, and I should probably call Mom too, she's probably worried about me," Ken mused. Seconds later, his eyes widened. "I never called and told her that I was ok after I was missing for three days! She's probably worried sick!" And with that, the Mew hybrid dashed out of the room and down the hall, leaving his friends to stare in confusion.

"Interesting friend you have there," Sapphire chuckled, earning herself a glare from her Trainer.

* * *

_Oh man, she's probably freaking out right now, _Ken thought to himself, hurriedly dialing his home phone number. _Come to think of it, I said I'd call her several times and I never even called once. Why not? _His gaze wandered, to one of his furry hands and he paused in the midst of dialing, a frown on his face. _Oh yeah, that's why. _Hanging up the phone, he let out a long heavy sigh. _How in the world am I supposed to explain this? Would I just be worrying her more if I called?_

After carefully weighing the consequences of calling versus not calling, Ken sighed, picked up the phone, and began to dial again.

* * *

"So how long have you known him?" Marik asked, offering a Pokéblock to Sapphire, who turned her had away.

"It's been about a week now," Chris replied, offering Pokéblocks to his own Pokémon, who each had their own opinions of the tiny cubes.

Marik's eyes widened in surprise. "_A week_? That's all?"

Chris nodded. "I guess you'd say that Ken and I hit it off right from the start."

Marik nodded, a small smile on his face. "Must be nice, having a friend like that, I mean." _I wonder if Ken will ever look at me as anything more than an annoyance…_

* * *

The phone finished ringing, and Ken was happy to see his mother's face appear on screen…for about three seconds.

"Ken, what in the world is going on?" she shouted, causing him to flinch. He'd never heard his mother so angry before, not even after he had broken so many things with his tail. "I don't hear from you for over a week, and then you go disappearing and no one knows where you are? And you couldn't even call to let me know that you're ok?"

"I'm calling now, aren't I?" Ken growled, tail beginning to lash back and forth in irritation.

"That's not the point!" his mother snapped, fixing him with a harsh glare. Ken blinked in confusion as he saw tears come to her eyes. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Instantly all anger and irritation faded away, leaving Ken feeling extremely guilty. "I'm sorry Mom," he muttered, hanging his head.

Rika sighed, causing Ken to glance up. "It's all right. As long as you're safe and well, that's all that matters!"

Ken's expression brightened then, and he managed a small smile. "Thanks Mom."

His mother smiled and nodded, all traces of anger and sadness having disappeared. "So, how are things? They said on the news that you made a friend?"

Ken nodded. "Yeah. His name is Chris, and he's a really nice guy. He's like me, actually. I mean, his father was a Pokémon."

Rika's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Ken nodded. "Yeah, it looks like I'm not the only one. I've also met this guy named Marik whose part Manaphy. He's…interesting, to say the least," Ken grimaced, recalling how there interactions so far hadn't been particularly pleasant.

"Well, I'm just glad that you've made some friends," Rika laughed, gazing at her son fondly. Slowly, a slight frown came to her face. There was something..._different_ about Ken, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. "You are all right, aren't you Ken?"

"Yeah Mom, I'm fine," Ken replied, beginning to feel a little nervous. He had really hoped that she wouldn't notice that there was anything different about him. He was about to shove his hands in his pockets, but his mother noticed the movement and caught sight of his furry hands.

"Ken, what it that?"

"Uh…." Ken began, wracking his brain for a plausible explanation, "…puberty?"

His mother gave him a look that seemed to be asking if he thought she was an idiot. "Ken, I'm your mother. I happen to know for a fact that you've been through that already," she remarked, causing him to blush. "Now, are you going to tell me what's been going on?"

"Well…" Ken began, beginning to fidget nervously.

"Ken, I'm your mother. You can tell me anything and I will _always_ love you," Rika explained, offering her son a reassuring smile. "Just tell me the truth, its ok."

Ken sighed and nodded, though he really had hoped that he would be able to keep his secret a secret from her for just a little longer. "I…I think I'm turning into a Mew," Ken finally said, not meeting his mother's gaze. "I can speak and understand Pokémon language, and I like Pokémon Food, and I can use the move Transform, and sometimes I use telepathy by accident, and my fingernails fell out, and my eyes are changing, and fangs are coming in, and I'm growing fur, and…and I'm scared Mom, I'm scared!" Ken cried, tears rolling down his face, blurring his vision. Still, it felt good to finally get it all out after keeping all that emotion bottled up inside for what felt like so long. He took several deep breaths to calm his nerves before finally forcing himself to look at his mother's reaction. She was staring back at him now with a mixture of concern, worry, and…fear? "Mom…?"

"Ken, I want you to come home now," Rika said, never taking her eyes off of him. "We'll see Professor Oak, he'll be able to help you. We'll go to specialists, we'll-"

"I don't want that!" Ken snapped, surprising even himself. He let out a sigh, rubbing his head, before continuing in a much calmer voice. "I don't want to be some kind of science experiment." He looked to his mother, hoping to find some way to make her understand. "I want to travel, to see all of Kanto, maybe more. I want to travel with Chris, and Sora, and Marik, even if he is a total creep. I want to meet all kinds of Pokémon and learn more about them. I want to meet people like Bill and Misty and Danny, even if things don't always go the way that I want them to." Ken swallowed, feeling tears beginning to fill his eyes once more. "I want to meet Dad, and find out why he left me!" Ken finally stopped, feeling like he was going to be sick. He'd never known that he'd felt so strongly about all that before, especially the last part, but deep down, he knew that everything he'd said had been true.

His mother regarded him with a surprised expression, her mouth wide open in shock. Then, slowly, her mouth twisted into a smile and her eyes filled with tears, both of sadness and of joy. "Ken, you've really grown up."

Ken blinked in surprise at her statement. "Huh?"

His mother laughed. "It's true, you have. You left home not knowing anything about what you wanted to do, or who you wanted to be. Honestly, I think you just wanted to get out of the house!" his mother laughed, and Ken blushed, realizing how true that was. She smiled at him again, her eyes aglow with happiness. "Just look at you now."

Ken thought about it for a moment, before realizing that his mother had a point. He'd learned a lot since he'd first started his journey, and his journey had only just begun. At the thought of this he let out a laugh, a high pitched Mew giggle.

His mother smiled. "Your father had a laugh just like that," she mused thoughtfully, causing Ken to blush. She chuckled. "You remind me a lot of him, you know."

Ken blinked in surprise. He'd never heard much about his father. "Mom, what was…what was Dad like?"

"Well, he was quiet, but it was never hard to tell what he was thinking, at least, not for me. He was a bit childish and naïve, but also had a serious, more adult side to him. He was the definition of innocence, yet at times it seemed as if he was wise beyond his years. He was quite the odd man, very difficult to figure out." Rika paused, as if thinking the matter over. "He also loved being outside, and he loved to laugh. All in all, he was the kindest, sweetest man that I had ever met."

Ken regarded his mother thoughtfully, thinking of the father that he had never met. "I want to meet him someday."

Rika nodded. "I know. I may not understand why he left exactly, but if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that he would want to meet you too."

After saying goodbye to his mother, and giving her his Pokégear number so they could better keep in contact, Ken hung up the phone and headed up to his room, deciding that he would call Professor Oak in the morning. Right now, he just wanted to spend some time with his friends. Never did it occur to him that he had just carried out a conversation with his mother entirely in Pokéspeak and, somehow, she had understood him perfectly.

* * *

Elsewhere, a Mew sat in the branches of a tree, sound asleep. Slowly he stirred, his tail twitching sleepily as he turned his gaze towards the vast blue Sky. Big blue eyes stared at the sky longingly, missing some of the innocence that they had in the past. Tears came to his eyes as he felt the wave of emotion coming from a being not unlike himself.

"Ken…"

* * *

After a leisurely night of relaxing and chatting with his friends, Ken curled up in bed feeling happy and, for once, not worried about what the future might hold. With a yawn, he drifted off into a deep and comfortable sleep…

The first thing that Ken became aware of was the complete lack of scenery. Everything was white nothingness, yet somehow, he was able to tell that his feet were touching the nonexistent ground.

_Hey, wait a minute…aren't I supposed to be floating? _Ken wondered, recalling his previous dreams. He glanced down at himself and was surprised to find that he was actually in his body, the typical Mew hybrid form of his waking hours, rather than the body of a Mew that usually plagued his dreams. A soft giggle off to his right alerted him to the fact that he was not alone.

Turning around, he was shocked to find himself face to face with…himself.

The other him giggled and floated over, blue eyes sparkling playfully. "Hi Ken! Are you ready to play with me?"

"Wh-who are you?" Ken asked, taking a nervous step backwards.

"I'm you silly!" the other him laughed, doing a playful backflip before being consumed in a fit of giggling.

Ken was confused for a moment before everything clicked. "You're the Pokémon part of me! The part that was released at the Daycare!"

The other him giggled. "Oh, I've been around _long_ before that, Ken! You just haven't listened!" His double then began to fly around him in playful circles, making Ken feel a bit dizzy.

"So at the pool in Cerulean, and other times too…?"

His double nodded. "Yep, that's me! That little playful voice in your ear!"

"Then who was that in my dreams before?" Ken asked, still confused.

"Oh, don't worry, he won't bother you anymore! I'm blocking him so you can finally have sweet dreams, and we can have some fun!"

Ken didn't know whether to be relieved or irritated. On the one hand, he hated that voice and the way it always invaded his dreams, scaring the crap out of him. On the other hand, however, it seemed to know about his situation, and was just about to tell him who it was last time when he woke up.

The other him frowned, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "What's the matter? Aren't you happy?"

"Just…confused," Ken sighed. "Why did our dad leave us?" _Our? Us? What the heck am I talking about? _Ken wondered, putting his hands to his head as it began to throb.

"You ok?" Ken looked up to see his double staring at him, a concerned look on his face.

"My head hurts," Ken muttered, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples.

"I can make it better!" the other him laughed, clapping his hands and beginning to glow a bright pink.

"No! No psychic power!" Ken snapped, more forcefully than he had intended.

His double frowned, looking sad and confused. It was then that Ken began to really take notice of the differences between the two of them. His double had slightly larger eyes and fangs, but it was his voice that really surprised Ken. He sounded…younger. Much younger. If Ken had to guess, he'd put him at around four years old, despite his appearance.

_Just great, _Ken sighed, shaking his head. _My Pokémon half has the mentality of a four year old! _

"I heard that!" his other self said, looking offended. "I'll have you know that I'm perfectly fine by Mew standards!"

_Then Mew's must mature really slowly, _Ken reasoned, forgetting once again that his Pokémon self could hear him.

Mew Ken giggled and nodded, doing a playful backflip. "Mew is a playful species! Why should we grow up? Its _boooring_!"

Ken sighed in irritation before what his other half had said really sunk in. "What, does that mean if I keep changing I'm going to become like a little kid again?"

Mew Ken shrugged. "How should I know? I'm _you! _I can't know more about these changes than you do, can I?"

"I guess not," Ken agreed, causing his other half to giggle.

"You act like it's a bad thing! Being a Mew is FUN!"

"Not for me it isn't!" Ken growled, tail twitching in irritation.

Mew Ken paused, tilting his head to the side in confusion. Finally, a playful smile broke out on his face. "You've had a big day, huh? Need some rest?"

"_Yes_," ken growled, wondering why he couldn't just have a normal night's sleep for once.

Mew Ken's eyes brightened. "Ok! You rest and tomorrow I'll have a special surprise for you! That'll be fun!"

Before Ken could even ask what his counterpart meant by "special surprise," he found his eyelids begging to grow heavy, and he drifted off into a deep and dreamless slumber…

* * *

Ken awoke the next morning, feeling refreshed. It had been so long since he had gotten a goodnight sleep without waking up in the middle of the night scared out of his wits that he had almost forgotten what that was like. He yawned and stretched and was about to get out of bed when he noticed something on top of his covers.

_What the heck…? _He wondered, bending closer to see what it was.

* * *

Chris was just waking up when he heard a loud scream pierce the air.

"HOLY CRAP! THERE'S A DEAD BIRD IN MY BED!"

_Never a dull moment, huh Ken? _Chris sighed, as he made his way towards his friend's room.

* * *

Ken sat in his bed in shock, staring at what was most definitely a dead robin. How it had gotten there, he hadn't a clue, but he certainly didn't want it there now.

"CHRIS!" Ken wailed, just as his friend arrived at the door. Taking one last look at the unwelcome visitor, Ken quickly opened the door, let Chris in, and began pointing frantically at his bed. "Chris, there's a dead bird over there!"

"What about a dead bird?" Marik mumbled sleepily, as he entered the room without a second thought.

"There! Dead bird! In bed!" Ken shouted, beginning to lose it.

Marik took a step forward, spotted the dead bird, and frowned. "Huh, that's weird. I didn't think there were even any windows in here."

"There _aren't_," Ken growled, trying his best to remain calm. "I have no idea how the _heck_ it got here!"

Slowly, Chris approached and picked up the dead bird by the foot, much to Ken's disgust. He studied it thoughtfully for a moment, before a funny look came across his face.

"Ken," he said, slowly, calmly, "there are bite marks in this bird."

Ken stared in confusion before what his friend was implying finally registered. "Oh, heck no! Just because I'm part Mew does _not_ mean that I went out in the middle of the night, caught a bird, and then brought it back here for breakfast!"

_Yay! You guessed right! _a childish voice inside Ken's head giggled. _I figured that you've had a really hard time lately, so I'd get you something special for breakfast to make you happy!_

Ken's eyes widened in horror. "What the heck were you thinking? I do not eat dead birds!"

_Well, it was alive when I found it,_ his other half replied, making Ken feel sick to his stomach.

"So, let me get this straight: you wanted to cheer me up, so you go out and get me a _DEAD BIRD_?"

_Uh-huh! _his Pokémon side giggled, clearly not understanding why Ken was so upset.

"Um, Ken….who are you talking to?" Chris asked, extremely concerned by his friends behavior.

"My Pokémon side decided to get me breakfast," Ken growled, right ear twitching. Suddenly his eyes widened. "Hey, wait a minute! If your me, and you had control of my body like at the Daycare, then that means…" he trailed off, staring at the dead bird still dangling from Chris's hand. "You're telling me that I had _THAT _in my _MOUTH_?"

_Yep!_ Mew Ken giggled, sounding extremely proud of himself. _Aren't you proud of us? We caught a bird all by ourselves! _

With one last look at the dead bird, Ken fell backwards onto his bed, fainted.

* * *

Once again, Ken found himself within the white nothingness of his mind, glaring angrily at his Pokémon half, who looked confused as to what he had done wrong.

"What in the world made you decide that that was a good idea?" Ken growled, right ear twitching angrily.

"Well…that's one of the things that cat Pokémon eat in the wild," Mew Ken shrugged, looking very much like a kid who had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I thought you'd like it…"

"Well, I don't! Now leave me alone!" Ken snapped, trying his best to force his Pokémon half to the back of his mind. There was a strange sensation in his head for a moment, before Mew Ken vanished, and Ken found himself waking up in the real world with his friends gazing at him in concern.

"You ok Ken?" Chris asked, taking a step towards the Mew hybrid, who was busy rubbing his temples. Ken flinched as Chris approached, and Chris took a step back. "Don't worry, I already got rid of the dead bird!" he assured his friend, causing Ken to relax a little bit. He came and sat down on Ken's bed with a sigh, regarding his friend sympathetically. "It's only going to get worse if you keep fighting it, you know. Remember what Danny said?"

Ken didn't say anything; as far as he was concerned, his other personality showing up was entirely Danny's fault.

"Ken," Chris tried again, placing a hand on the Mew hybrids shoulder.

"I'm going for a walk," Ken growled, shoving on his shoes and heading out the door.

Once outside, he stared aimlessly out at the ocean, enjoying the sea breeze as it ruffled his short pink hair. He let out a long heavy sigh. It seemed like yesterday everything was fine, and then today he woke up to find a dead bird in his bed.

_Why me? _Ken wondered, putting his face in his hands.

"Why anybody kid?"

Ken blinked in surprise, and looked to his right where a tall blond man in an army jacket stood, also staring out at the ocean. An orange-brown Pokémon that looked similar to a Pikachu stood beside him.

"Uh…I didn't Mew anyone was out here," Ken stammered, turning to head back to the Pokémon Center.

"It's a free country kid," the man laughed, barely taking his eyes off the sea. "Stay if you want!"

Ken blinked, then slowly turned his gaze back to the ocean. The two stood there for a while in silence, before the man finally spoke again.

"Having trouble?"

"Mew could say that," Ken agreed with a sigh, tail twitching.

"Well, here's the first thing you gotta learn: when life gets you down, you just get right back up and punch it in the face!" the man laughed, punching the air for effect. "You got that?"

"Uh…no," Ken replied, not sure what the heck the man was talking about.

The man sighed and ran a hand through his short blond hair. "What I'm saying is, you can't just focus on all the bad things in your life." He glanced out at the shimmering waters, a smile on his face. "If there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's that when there are bad things, there are good things too. Like Pokémon, for instance." He reached down and patted the head of the Pikachu like Pokémon beside him. "I tell ya kid, Pokémon saved my life during the war! It was the best thing in my life to have discovered Pokémon!"

Ken nodded, thinking once again about all the good things that his journey had brought him, and he smiled.

The man turned to Ken, a big grin on his face. "That's the spirit! Ya gotta learn to roll with the punches!" he laughed, giving Ken a friendly slap on the back and nearly knocking the Mew hybrid over.

"Listen to my pal, he knows what he's talking about," the Pokémon laughed, stretching his arms behind his head in a pose that reminded Ken of Chumley, the Pikachu he'd met in Viridian Forest.

"Thank Mew," Ken said, offering the man a small grateful smile.

The man laughed. "Hey, no problem kid! Well, I probably should be heading back to the gym now, don't wanna keep those challengers waiting!" And with that, he headed off towards the Pokémon gym, causing Ken to blink in surprise.

"Was that…Lt. Surge?" Ken asked, recalling what little he knew of Gym Leaders. Then his heart sank, recalling what Misty had told him about Gym Leaders, how some of them were actually working for Team Rocket. Had he just alerted Team Rocket to his location? _No, that can't be,_ Ken thought to himself with a shake of his head. _Lt. Surge seemed like a very nice man, and he didn't mention the fact that I'm part Mew at all. There's no way he could be working for Team Rocket._

* * *

Back at the Vermillion City Gym, Lt. Surge arrived just in time to catch his phone ringing. He talked on the phone for several minutes, giving short answers once in a while, a frown forming on his face.

"Understood Giovanni sir, I'll see that the Mew Boy is successfully captured," he said, before hanging up the phone. His Pokémon turned to him, its expression one of concern. "Well Raichu, it looks like we're going to pay the SS Anne a visit tomorrow morning." The mouse like Pokémon smiled.

* * *

Author's notes: Sorry if this chapter was overly sappy, but then again, we hardly get any interaction between Ken and his mother in later chapters. Yes, Mew Ken, Ken's Pokémon half, will be making more appearances down the road.

Mew Ken: Yay! I'm in the fanfic! ^_^

Ken: God help me…

Anyway, next chapter will involve the party aboard the SS Anne, potential plot twists, and the appearance of some familiar faces.

Thanks for reading everybody! :)


	39. Ch 38: Everybody's Going to the Party

Chapter 38: Everybody's Going to the Party, Have a Real Good Time

Taking one last look at the ocean, Ken decided to keep Lt. Surge's words in mind and began to make his way back to the Pokémon Center.

_That's the spirit Ken! _Mew Ken giggled from inside his head. _It's fun to be a Mew! _

_I thought I got rid of you, _Ken sighed, not really liking this presence inside his head.

_Nope! We're gonna be best friends forever and ever! _Mew Ken explained excitedly, oblivious to Ken's irritation.

"Well," Ken sighed, trying to maintain a positive outlook, "I guess it could be worse."

_Look Ken! A butterfly!_

"There could be two of them."

* * *

"So…is that a normal occurrence for your friend? Talking to himself I mean?" Marik asked, not sure what to make of Ken's behavior earlier.

"Well…kinda," Chris replied with a sigh. "When we were at the daycare, Ken had a personality split. I guess this is something we're going to have to get used to, and we should help him however we can."

Marik nodded, then a smirk broke out on his face. "Do you think Ken would play with a ball of yarn if I got him one?"

* * *

As Ken was busy trying to tune his Pokémon side out, and failing miserably, something happened to catch his eye. Turning around, he spotted a girl with her Meowth, the small cat like Pokémon playfully batting a ball of yarn around with its paw.

_That…looks like fun, _Ken thought to himself absentmindedly, then promptly shook his head. _What am I thinking? I am NOT a Pokémon! I do not like balls of yarn!_

_I love balls of yarn! _Mew Ken giggled excitedly, causing Ken to groan in irritation. _Can we play with it?_

"No!" Ken snapped, causing the girl and the Meowth to look at him strangely. _No, I am NOT going to play with a stupid ball of yarn! _Ken mentally continued, so as to avoid having people think that he had lost it.

_Please? _Mew Ken begged, his voice practically dripping with sugar. _Balls of yarn are so much—_

_No, _Ken interrupted, trying his best to ignore his Pokémon half. Still, he was unable to tune out his minds insistent screaming at him.

Yarn.

Yarn!

BALL OF YARN!

Before Ken even realized what had happened, he was on the ground batting the ball of yarn around like a cat, his tail twitching merrily. The girl stared at the scene opened mouthed, not sure what the heck had just happened, while the Meowth wasn't so passive about it.

"That's mine!" he growled, pouncing on Ken and sinking his fangs into the Mew hybrid's shoulder, ignoring the bright glow that resulted. In seconds, there were two Meowh rolling around on the ground, fighting over a ball of yarn.

* * *

A loud yowling from just outside the Pokémon Center caught the attention of many of the Trainers, including Marik and Chris, who had made their way down to the lobby by this time. Heading outside to see what was going on, they were immediately met with the sight of a pair of Meowth fighting over a ball of yarn, one of them strangely familiar…

"Bet you ten bucks that that's Ken," Marik laughed, regarding the scene with amusement. "I gotta get a shot of this!" he laughed, pulling out his Pokénav and attempting to take a picture.

Chris rolled his eyes and made his way over to the pair of Meowth, hoping to stop the fight before it got out of hand.

"Ken! Ken come on, let go!" Chris instructed, attempting to pick up the angry Meowth and pulling his hand away in order to avoid the swipe of claws. "You know, I could use a little help here," he groaned, turning to Marik with a meaningful look on his face.

"This is SO going on YouTube!" Marik laughed, causing the Regigigas hybrid to face palm.

Attempting once again to pick up the angry Meowth without getting scratched, Chris finally managed to grab Ken by the scruff of the neck and pull him away from the other Meowth, who picked up the ball of yarn in his mouth and promptly ran over to his Trainer. The girl took one last look at the odd scene before picking up her Pokémon and heading towards the Pokémon Fan Club.

"Ken, what on earth are we going to do with you?" Chris sighed, holding the Meowth out at arm's length by the scruff of the neck, still wary of his Transformed friend trying to claw him to death.

"I like yarn!" the Mew hybrid replied, and then broke into a fit of giggling laughter.

Chris sighed, knowing that Ken wasn't exactly himself. "Let's go back to the Pokémon Center," he sighed, letting go of the Meowth, who promptly climbed up on his shoulder.

"Can we have more candy? I love candy!" Mew Ken giggled, ears twitching excitedly as the trio made their way back to the Pokémon Center.

* * *

Watching them from the cover of a nearby bush, was the team Rocket Supervisor, his brow furrowing at the sight of the happy and playful Mew hybrid.

_Enjoy your fun while it lasts, Mew Boy. Tomorrow, I will __**personally**__ see to it that you are delivered to the boss._

* * *

Once inside Ken's room, Mew Ken jumped off of Chris's shoulder and began to claw the carpet.

"Ken, don't do that!" Chris scolded, hurrying to stop the Mew hybrid from causing them to have to pay for the Pokémon Center's carpet.

The Mew hybrid easily avoided Chris, jumped onto the bed stand, Transformed into a Pikachu, and promptly began gnawing on the electrical wires.

"Or that!" Chris cried, picking up the Pikachu, only to get Thundershocked in the process. Chris toppled to the ground, momentarily stunned, the electric rodent staring down at him with a playful smile on his face.

"What'd you fall down for Chris?" Mew Ken asked, hopping onto the Regigas hybrids chest, his ears twitching playfully. "If you wanna play Ring Around the Rosie, you can't just skip to 'we all fall down'!"

"You know that's about the plague, right?" There was an awkward silence as all eyes turned to Chris, looking confused. "Well…it is…." Chris muttered, blushing heavily as his friends and their Pokémon all continued to stare at him.

"Well, there goes my childhood!" Marik sighed, arms crossed and looking none too happy. "This is right up there with the time my uncle told me what was in a tuna sandwich!"

"Uhh…its tuna," Chris replied, not sure what Marik was getting at.

"_Exactly_!" the Manaphy hybrid cried, throwing his arms into the air in frustration. He then leaned in really close to Chris and said, almost in a whisper, "Do you know what tuna _is_?"

"Fish?"

"Exactly! I'm part Manaphy! I have a connection to Water Pokémon! Now let me ask you, have you ever considered how much difference there _really is _between a goldfish and a Goldeen? I had been eating fish that whole time and never knew it!"

Mew Ken blinked in confusion, not sure what exactly was going on. He didn't know what the plague was, but apparently it had something to do with tuna fish sandwiches.

"Ok, why don't we focus on the task at hand?" Chris offered, hoping to calm down the irritated Manaphy hybrid, who was currently going into a full on rant about all the ways his childhood had been ruined.

"And there is no Hair Fairy!"

"Look, I know it's hard to—wait, what?"

Marik blinked as Chris turned to stare at him. "You know, the Hair Fairy. She takes the hair from the barber after the kid gets their hair cut, and leaves a quarter next to the kid's hairbrush the following morning!"

"Uh…are you sure you don't mean the Tooth Fairy?"

"_No_, I mean the Hair Fairy! She's the Tooth Fairy's cousin."

Chris simply stared. "And _where _did you hear something like that exactly?"

"What, you mean that not everyone's parents tell them that story?"

"Not really," Chris replied, shaking his head.

Marik looked shocked. "Oh. Well, my mother told me that story after the barber tried to cut off my antenna by mistake and I refused to go back ever again. I later found out from my uncle that it was just a story to get me to get my hair cut. Come to think of it, my uncle shattered a lot of my childhood beliefs…"

Chris just stood there staring, not sure how in the world they had gotten on that topic, while Mew Ken morphed back into human form and began rummaging through Marik's backpack in search of more Pokéblocks.

* * *

Sometime later, Ken found himself lying on his bed, the events of the past few hours somewhat of a blur. He was able to recall bits and pieces of it, but nothing made much sense.

_How did I get peanut butter in my hair anyway? _

He was interrupted from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps and saw Chris and Marik slowly and cautiously approaching the bed, the latter holding a baseball bat.

"You feeling better Ken?' Chris asked, his voice having the quality of someone who is walking on eggshells.

Ken nodded. "A little tired, but otherwise fine. What happened?"

"Well," Chris began looking like he didn't really know how to put it, "let's just say that it has now been proven that you _can_ get a sugar rush from eating too many Pink Pokéblocks."

"Which makes no sense, as its all natural!" Marik cried, tightening his grip on the baseball bat.

Ken laughed, imagining what horrors his Mew half had put them through while sugar high. "Sorry about that guys."

"It's ok Ken, we understand," Chris laughed, as Marik slowly released his hold on the baseball bat.

"Yeah, it wasn't _that_ bad," the Manaphy hybrid shrugged, a smile forming on his face as he held up his Pokénav. "Besides, I got some great shots to put on YouTube!"

* * *

After saying goodbye to his friends, and washing the peanut butter out of his hair, which he still couldn't recall how it got there in the first place, Ken flopped onto his bed with a heavy sigh, Sora quickly curling up next to him.

"Some day this is turning out to be, huh Sora?" he chuckled, reaching out and patting her on the head.

"Your Pokémon side sure is nuts, huh Ken?" Sora giggled, nuzzling his hand affectionately.

Ken nodded. "You can say that again."

"Your Pokémon side sure is—"

"Ok, don't take me so literally!" Ken laughed, picking up Sora and setting her on his chest.

"Sorry, but it is nice to see you loosen up Ken!"

Ken smiled, then put a hand to his mouth as a loud yawn escaped his throat. Suddenly, he felt very tired.

Clicking out the light, Ken curled up with Sora, drifting off into a deep sleep…

* * *

"Hi Ken!" Mew Ken giggled, doing a playful backflip and greeting his human half enthusiastically. "Do you wanna play a game?"

"Not really," Ken sighed, feeling a strange itching making its way up his arms. "I think I've had enough "excitement" for one day."

Mew Ken frowned and floated over to Ken, blue eyes full of innocence. "Just one game? Pleeeaaase?"

"All right, _one _game," Ken sighed, already getting the feeling that he was going to regret this.

Mew Ken's eyes instantly brightened. "Yaaaaay! Let's play puppet show!"

_What in the world does that mean? _Ken wondered. He didn't have time to think about it, however, as the scenery around him was already changing. In seconds he found himself on a stage like you would find at a theater, the lights overhead clicking on and bathing him in a harsh glow. He squinted out at the audience and was shocked to see that it was made up of nothing but row upon row of Kens of different ages and genders, all laughing and cheering excitedly. _What the heck?_ he upwards, he was met with an even bigger shock: his Pokémon half had somehow grown to gigantic proportions and was now grinning down at him, blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Ready Ken?" he giggled, as the audience began to cheer louder. "It's time to start the show!"

For the first time, Ken noticed the many strings that were attached to his body. He watched as one of the strings moved, then let out a cry of surprise as his right leg was forced upward in a strangely involuntary movement. His body no longer seemed to be under his control, but he didn't need to be able to look up to guess who was pulling the strings. Mew Ken was the puppet master and he was no more than the puppet.

The audience cheered loudly as Ken was forced to perform a ridiculous dance, followed by a juggling act. He hadn't even been aware that he could juggle. The experience of having a bunch of strings attached to him wasn't painful, but he had to admit that it was a very strange experience. He found that he could actually _feel _the strings move and seconds after one did, the body part it was attached to moved too. It didn't take long before Ken could tell what his body was about to do based on the strings movement alone, but of course that didn't mean that he liked it.

"Let me go!" Ken growled, thankful that at least one part of him was still within his control.

"I don't think you want me to do that Ken!" Mew Ken giggled in a teasing voice before proceeding to make Ken do the Hokey-Pokey.

"Yes I do!" Ken protested, feeling his face beginning to grow hot with embarrassment. _Well, at least he isn't making me do the Chicken Dance, _Ken thought to himself with a sigh.

"Good idea!" Mew Ken giggled, causing Ken to mentally slap himself for his stupidity.

"Oh come on! Please, anything but that stupid dance!" Ken groaned, pulling against the strings in an attempt to get away, but having no success. Seconds later, he was doing the chicken dance and the audience was roaring with laughter.

"Come on Ken!" Mew Ken giggled, clearly enjoying his human half's embarrassment. "Sing the words!"

"There are _words_?" Ken asked, knowing that he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Of course there are silly! I don't wanna be a chicken! I don't wanna be a duck! So I shake my butt!"

Ken could feel his face grow redder than a fire engine. "Somehow, I liked it better when I _didn't _know the words…"

Mew Ken giggled. "You know, most people don't know that there even _are _words. Do you know why that is?"

"Because it's a stupid dance with an even stupider song to go with it?" Ken offered, causing his Pokémon half to laugh.

"Nuh-uh! It's funny and fun to do!"

Ken was about to protest that his other half was _seriously_ mistaken, when several gasps came forth from the crowd and they began to cheer louder than ever. Ken felt his arms begin to itch like crazy, but found himself unable to do anything more than continue to do the stupid chicken dance.

"Wow Ken, that's really neat!" Mew Ken giggled excitedly, as he began to make the Mew hybrid do the Macarena. "I really hope you keep that when you wake up in the morning!"

"Keep what?" Ken asked, as his hands were forced to the top of his head.

Mew Ken giggled like a little kid who knows a big secret that no one else does. "You wanna know?"

"_Yes_," Ken growled, as he was growing extremely sick of dancing and the itching in his arms was driving him nuts.

"Ok, look down," Mew ken instructed, sounding incredibly happy.

Ken felt the strings slacken a bit and finally found himself able to move his body on his own. He glanced down at his arms, only to let out a bloodcurdling scream at what he saw: pink Mew fur was now climbing its way up his arms and showing no sign of stopping. Already it was nearly up to his elbows.

"Surprised huh?" his Pokémon half asked, clearly not understanding that Ken was seriously freaking out. "Isn't this great Ken? Soon you'll be a real live Mew!"

"I DON'T WANT TO BE A MEW!" Ken screamed, struggling against the strings with all his might. "LET ME GO NOW!"

"Ok, but I tried to warn you!" Mew Ken laughed.

The scenery faded away and Ken felt the stage drop out from underneath him, leaving him dangling in the air from the strings. He looked up in panic as he realized that the only thing that was holding him up was Mew Ken. Then Mew Ken opened his mouth revealing tiny fangs and bit through the strings that held Ken, sending him falling into nothingness. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Mew Ken grinning at him like a Cheshire Cat.

* * *

Ken awoke with a start, sweat dripping down his face. He glanced frantically around him before realizing that he was safe and sound back in his own bed and flopped down with a heavy sigh.

_Just great, I get rid of one crazy dream voice and some other psycho comes to take his place! _Ken thought to himself bitterly, tail twitching in annoyance.

Recalling the events of his dream, he glanced down at his hands and had to bite his lip to keep from screaming. The pink Mew fur had now spread up to his elbows. Quickly climbing out of bed, Ken hurried into the bathroom to see if anything else had changed. A salty tang was beginning to fill his mouth, informing him that he had bitten his lip too hard, having forgotten about his fangs.

After a quick examination, he determined that his fangs had also grown slightly larger and sharpened a bit, and his eyes appeared a little bit bigger than they had the day before. He ran his scratchy longue over his now bleeding bottom lip, unable to believe that he had actually done something so stupid.

_Hey, cheer up Ken! All this means is that you will be a Mew really soon!_

Ken stared hard at the mirror as his reflection seemed to distort, changing into the grinning image of Mew Ken.

"Get out of the mirror!" Ken growled, punching the glass and groaning as it had absolutely no effect.

_I'm not IN the mirror silly! _Mew Ken giggled, seemingly enjoying Ken's irritation. _I'm in your head!_

"That's worse!"

_Aw come on Ken, _Mew Ken whined, his blue eyes begging his human half not to be angry. _I just want us to be friends! _

"I don't want you to be my friend!" Ken snapped, then immediately felt guilty, as he saw tears beginning to well up in Mew Ken's eyes.

_You…you don't like me? _Mew Ken sniffed, tears running down the side of his face.

"I'm sorry," Ken sighed, burying his head in his hands. "I just…I don't wanna be a Mew."

Mew Ken frowned, his blue eyes full of confusion. _Why not?_

Ken sighed and shook his head, knowing that there was no way that he could make his Pokémon half understand. "Are you going to show up in _every _mirror that I happen to look into?" he asked, not sure if he was going to like the answer.

_Not just mirrors, any reflective surface will work! _Mew Ken giggled, causing Ken to groan and rub his temples. _Isn't this great Ken? Now you and I can talk face to face anytime!_

"Just what I always wanted," Ken replied unenthusiastically, making his way out of the bathroom and clicking off the light.

"Ken," Sora said, as she noticed her friend come out of the bathroom, "you're getting kinda furry."

"I _know _that Sora!" Ken growled, tail flicking in irritation. "What I want to know is _why!_"

_Beats me, but isn't it great? _Mew Ken giggled, clearly overjoyed by Ken's most recent transformation.

Trying his best to ignore the annoying voice in his head, Ken began rummaging through his bag for some cans of Pokémon Food, only to accidently hit a button on his Pokedex.

"Pokémon unknown or otherwise abnormal. Unable to identify. Type is Psychic. Ability is Synchronize. Subject is currently able to use the moves Transform and one other unknown move. Attempting to identify move. Attempt failed. No further information."

"I can use another move?" Ken wondered aloud, this new bit of information catching his interest. Intrigued, he reached for the Pokedex, hoping to get a bit more information from it.

"Subject is currently able to use the moves Transform and one other unknown move. Attempting to identify move. Attempt failed."

"Try again!" Ken growled, mashing the buttons on his Pokedex. This, however, only seemed to make things worse.

"Attempt failed. Attempt failed. Attempt failed. Attempt failed. Attempt failed. Attem—"

"This thing is busted!" Ken growled, chucking the Pokedex across the room, his tail beginning to lash back and forth angrily. He paused as he noticed that his tail felt funny—heavier than it normally did. He glanced behind him just in time to see his tail, now glowing and with a metallic sheen to it, smash into the TV. Ken gasped as the screen shattered, letting off several sparks. Smoke poured out of the now ruined TV set and up towards the ceiling, setting off the smoke alarm. Ken gulped, knowing that he was probably going to have to pay for that, and said the two words that were most on his mind: "Oh crap."

* * *

Chris had just finished gathering up his things when all of a sudden, he heard the smoke alarm go off across the hall, sounding like it was coming from Ken's room. Marik poked his head out of his room a few doors down, a curious expression on his face.

"Oh Ken, what did you do?" Chris sighed, making his way towards his friend's room.

* * *

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Ken cried, furiously fanning the smoke alarm with a towel from the bathroom in an effort to make it stop beeping. His Pokedex took that moment to decide to finally say something useful.

"Iron Tail, a Steel type move. The user stores power in its tail, then strikes with great force. Has high power, but shaky accuracy and poor control."

"You think?" Ken growled, sighing as he heard a knock at the door. "Come on in Chris, the doors unlocked."

Shrugging, Chris entered the room to find Ken busily fanning away the smoke from a completely destroyed TV. "Um…do I even want to ask?"

"Probably not," Ken sighed, putting the towel down and having a seat on the floor, his tail swaying gently back and forth.

Marik surveyed the damage to the television and let out a long, low whistle. "Jeez Ken, how the heck did you manage to do that?"

"Don't ask," Ken growled, glancing at his tail as he felt it stiffen.

Ken's friends watched in surprise as his tail lit up, taking on a metallic sheen, and slammed into the floor, causing the wood to splinter, before whipping about wildly behind him. They then took a cautious step backwards.

"So…you learned Iron Tail?" Chris asked, keeping a careful eye on the unruly appendage.

"I guess, but I really wouldn't say that I've "learned" anything," Ken sighed, as his tail returned to normal and began gently swaying behind him. "I haven't a _clue_ how I did that and knowing my luck, I'm going to smash about fifty more things before the day is over!"

"Oops I did it again!" Marik sang, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. "I smashed the TV! Put a hole in the floor! Oops you think-ahhh!" he cried out, jumping backwards as Ken's tail lit up once more and swung in his general direction.

Chris watched this scene with interest, before his eyes lit up in realization. "Marik, you're a genius!"

"Well, it's not really that big of deal!" Marik laughed, although it was quite clear that he enjoyed it very much when people stroked his ego. "All I did was change a few of the words—"

"No, not that!" Chris sighed, causing Marik to give him a confused look. "I mean, I think I know how to help Ken with his move thanks to you! Try getting him angry again!"

"WHAT?" Marik asked, eyeing the now docile tail fearfully. "That thing tried to kill me!"

"Come on, for Ken?" Chris asked, knowing how much Marik wanted the Mew hybrid to accept him as a friend.

"Oh, fine," Marik grumbled, taking a step backwards and hopefully out of Ken's tail's range of motion. He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully for a moment before an evil grin broke out on his face. "So Ken, would it be ok if I called you Fluffy?"

The Mew hybrid let out a feline sounding growl, his tail stiffening and taking on a metallic sheen. With a hiss, he lunged at Marik, his glowing tail coming within inches of the Manaphy hybrid's head.

"I'll t-take that as a no," Marik stammered, taking a step backwards and collapsing onto the floor out of shock.

"_What in the world is going on in here?"_

Slowly, the group turned to see Nurse Joy standing in the doorway with her arms crossed, looking none too happy.

"Uhh…Mew learned Iron Tail?" Ken offered, smiling weakly at her and hoping that she wouldn't be _too _mad at him.

Nurse Joy sighed. "Well, accidental damage caused by your Pokémon is covered by the Pokémon Leagues insurance program…and I guess this qualifies." She turned to Ken, a small smile on her face. "Please try to be more careful, ok?"

Ken nodded and the nurse went back downstairs, presumably to care for her sick patients.

"Well, at least we know now that your anger is what causes it," Chris sighed, glad that they hadn't had to pay for the damages. "Thanks Marik."

"Next time we want to test one of his moves, _you're _going to be the dummy," Marik groaned, before falling over onto his back.

* * *

After breakfast, Ken decided that it was high time he called Professor Oak, especially considering the fact that he had recently learned a new move, and without any help, nonetheless.

"You know, it's not unheard of for Pokémon to learn new attacks on their own," Chris explained, as Ken began dialing the professor's number. "And considering the fact that your tail always seems to be breaking _something_, I'm really not surprised."

"Gee, thanks Chris. I'm _so happy _that my tail is now a deadly wrecking ball that I _still can't control!" _

Chris offered his friend a sheepish smile, and Ken glared at him. Seconds later, the phone stopped ringing and Professor Oak appeared on the screen.

"Oh, hello Mew B—I mean Ken! It's been quite a while!"

"Yeah, sorry about that Professor," Ken replied, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Mew meant to call, but things have been pretty crazy lately."

"It's quite all right Ken," Professor Oak assured him with a smile. "I'm just glad to know that you're safe."

"Mew fine Professor," Ken replied, then sighed. "Well…not exactly," he admitted, letting his gaze wander to his furry hands.

Professor Oak leaned forward, looking extremely interested. "You're turning into a Mew?"

"Yeah! How'd Mew know Professor?"

"Um, you're mother told me," Professor Oak replied, looking somewhat nervous for some reason. "Anyway, it is something that I am currently looking into. In the meantime, why not tell me about all of the things that you can do?"

"Um…ok. Well I can use the move Transform and I recently learned Iron Tail," Ken explained, as Professor Oak began jotting down notes, eyes full of interest and…something else? "And—"

"STOP!"

Ken turned around to see a girl dressed in a red skirt, blue shirt, and a white and red cap running towards him, her long brown hair flowing wildly behind her.

"Um, I'm kinda on Mew phone—" Ken began, but was promptly shoved aside by the strange girl, who began screaming random gibberish.

"Imposter!" she screamed, pointing accusingly at the screen. "You will not find out about this poor boy's secrets! Hits with stick! Hits with stick!" she screamed, moving her arms at the video phone like she was holding an invisible hammer.

"Green, what in the world are you—"

"Don't play dumb with me, Imposter Oak! I know for a fact that you took the _real _Professor Oak's place _days _ago! Connection failure! Connection failure!" the girl screamed, hitting the disconnect button on the video phone and turning towards Ken, a triumphant smile on her face.

"What in the world did Mew do that for?" Ken demanded, taking a step towards the crazy girl, who couldn't be more than eleven.

"Sorry, I should introduce myself shouldn't I?" the girl laughed, flashing Ken a friendly smile. "I'm Leaf, and I'm Professor Oak's research assistant!"

"Then why did Mew _hang up _on Professor Oak?" Ken demanded, right ear beginning to twitch. He felt his tail stiffen and tried to calm down in order to avoid accidently Iron Tailing the clearly confused girl.

"Because," she said, leaning in close, her face deathly serious, "that wasn't _really _Professor Oak, but a robot double sent to find out all of your secrets in order to create an army of evil Mew clones bent on world domination!" she cried, throwing her arms up in the air dramatically. Ken, Chris, and Marik just stared. "You see," she continued, calm once more, "several days ago I went out to do some fieldwork for the professor and when I came back, I noticed that he was acting…strangely." Her eyes darted around, as if she feared that someone might be listening in on her. "At first, I didn't think anything of it, but as the days passed, I began to grow suspicious. And then when he called me Green one day, I knew the truth! Professor Oak had been replaced by a robot!"

"Uh…" Ken began, but Leaf ignored him, clearly caught up in her own story.

"So as a test, I dumped a bucket of water on Professor Oak's head!" Leaf exclaimed, causing Ken and the others to face palm. "Well…he didn't short circuit like I'd planned, he just got really angry at me and started sending me on really long and ridiculous errands like picking up a package for him in Viridian City!" Leaf laughed, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

"See?" Ken sighed, rolling his eyes. "Professor Oak _isn't _Mew robot!"

"No, don't you see? This _proves _it! The real Professor Oak never gets angry at me when I dump a bucket of water on his head!"

"And…how often Mew you do that exactly?" Ken asked, his doubts that the girl was entirely sane increasing.

"That's not important right now!" Leaf replied dismissively with a wave of her hand. "What _is _important is that you don't call Professor Oak, ok?"

"Um…" Ken replied, not really sure what to say to this girl, who seemed to be missing a few of her marbles.

Leaf sighed. "You don't believe me, do you?" she asked, her shoulders slumping. "I suppose that I shouldn't have expected you to. After all, the Viridian and Vermillion police stations already think I'm crazy."

"I wonder why?" Marik muttered, only to get elbowed in the stomach by Chris.

"Look," Leaf sighed, looking deathly serious, "I know it sounds weird, but when I heard about the Mew Boy of Kanto I believed and that sounds pretty weird too, you know. Just…be careful, ok?" She let out another sad sounding sigh before a smile found its way to her face and her emotions did a one-eighty. "Well, see ya Ken! I've got a party to go to! Pulls string and balloons fall from ceiling!" she laughed, reaching above her head and pulling an imaginary string before heading out the door.

"What a strange girl," Chris muttered, and Ken and Marik nodded.

"Please tell me that she didn't mean the party at the SS Anne?" Marik groaned, clearly not wanting to see Leaf again. "I pre-ordered the ticket back in Hoenn and everything!"

Ken stared out at where Leaf had gone, a confused frown on his face. One thing was for sure, if she was going to be aboard the SS Anne, then the party was going to be an interesting one.

* * *

Back in Pallet Town, Professor Oak sat at his desk, a deep frown on his face. Picking up his phone, he began dialing and was soon met with the face of his boss, a Persian curled up on his lap.

"Sir, the girl knows!" he growled, tapping his fingers nervously on the desk. "She knows I'm not Professor Oak and she's trying to alert the Mew Boy—"

"Calm down, Petrel," Giovanni growled, rubbing his temples. "And please, take off that ridiculous disguise!"

Professor Oak grunted, before peeling off his mask, revealing himself to be a rather thin man with pale purple hair. "My disguises are perfect!" Petrel protested, looking insulted. "I just don't understand how some girl named Green—"

"Her name is Leaf!" Professor Oak protested from his place tied up in the chair behind Giovanni. "And I'll have you know that she is a wonderful assistant!"

"The girl thinks I'm a robot," Petrel groaned, recalling the time that she had dumped a bucket of water on his head. "She's crazy."

"Crazy or not, you did say that she was trying to alert the Mew Boy, correct?" Petrel nodded, causing Giovanni's frown to deepen. "And did he believe her?"

"No sir," Petrel confidently replied. "The girl has quite the imagination and quite the odd manner of speaking. Its surely coincidence that she was able to figure out that I was an imposter."

Giovanni nodded, though he didn't look entirely convinced. "If a child, even a dreamer such as Leaf, was able to figure it out then others may become suspicious as well. I want you to put more effort into your mission, Petrel. If capturing the Mew Boy is a success, you will surely be promoted to admin for your efforts."

Petrel's eyes danced excitedly. "Yes Giovanni sir! I won't fail you! I guarantee that my disguise as Professor Oak will be flawless!"

"Good. Report to me anything that the Mew Boy tells you." Petrel nodded, and Giovanni hung up, turning to Professor Oak with an evil smile on his face. "Petrel is a master of disguise Professor, so you might as well tell me what I want to know if you ever want to get out of here." Professor Oak flinched as the Rocket Boss's smile grew and he let out a wicked laugh. "No one is ever going to realize that you are gone."

* * *

Approaching the SS Anne, Ken breathed in the warm ocean air, looking forward to finally having some fun for a change. The dock was bustling with people, and as Ken handed his ticket to the man in front of the ship, he was suddenly pushed from behind by a boy with spiky brown hair.

"Hey, move it will ya?" the boy growled, pausing as he noticed the ears and ever twitching tail. "Whoa, so the rumors are true then? Hmph! Gramps has some explaining to do!" he grumbled, pushing his way past Ken and giving the man his ticket before heading on board.

_Man, _Ken thought to himself as he handed the man his ticket, _I really hope that everybody doesn't make a huge deal about me being here. _Recalling how Chris and Marik had heard about him clear in Sinnoh and Hoenn, he was half expecting to get mauled as soon as he got there.

Stepping on board, he was immediately met with the sight of a multitude of Trainer's, all of them talking and laughing and accepting food and drinks from the waiters. Marik took one look at a group of girls and slinked off to join in their conversation, leaving his friends to sigh at what they knew was a bad idea. Glancing around, Ken spotted Leaf, who was currently attempting to convince a group of Trainers in a game of limbo—the only problem being that there was no pole.

"I think I'm gonna take a look around the ship, ok Ken?" Chris said, looking a bit nervous around the huge crowd of people.

Ken nodded, deciding that he might check out some of the battles that were currently taking place. Not too far away, a rather large crowd of people had gathered to watch a pair of Trainers battling. The first, a gentleman in fine clothes, sent out a Raticate, while the second, a boy in a red hat, smiled and motioned towards the Pikachu at his side. The electric rodent tilted its head to the side thoughtfully, then, apparently deciding that the Raticate was worth its time, dashed over to the opponent, cheeks sparking eagerly.

"As a gentleman, I think it's only fair that I allow you to make the first move," the man explained, leaning casually on the cane at his side.

"Ok, thanks!" the boy laughed, already getting into the spirit of battle. "Ok Pika! Use Thunderbolt!"

The Pikachu shot its Trainer an annoyed glare, but obeyed. Its cheeks began to spark, and a large blast of electricity streamed through the air towards the opponent.

"Raticate! Dodge and use Super Fang!" the gentleman calmly instructed.

The Raticate quickly sidestepped the blast and charged towards the surprised Pikachu, its fangs bared. Ducking out of the way, the Pikachu was just able to avoid the attack, then fired another bolt of electricity, this one hitting its mark. Electricity coursed through the rodent's body and it staggered backward, body sparking with the force of the attack.

"Great job Pika!" the boy encouraged, as the gentleman's confidence seemed to falter. "Now finish this up with another Thunderbolt!"

The Pikachu dashed towards the Raticate, its cheeks letting off millions of sparks. Once close enough, it slammed into the rodent, letting loose an enormous bolt of electricity. Ken felt his hair begin to stand on end from the electricity in the air, and the audience held their breath, eagerly awaiting the outcome.

The Raticate's body stiffened, then it slumped to the ground, fur jutting out at odd angles as if it had just stuck its tongue in a toaster.

"Raticate, no!" the man cried out, rushing over to the charred rodent. The Raticate slowly opened its eyes, caught sight of the condition its fur was in, and proceeded to try to groom its fur back into place, without much success. The man sighed in relief and returned the Pokémon to its Pokeball before standing up and congratulating his challenger.

_That Pikachu sure is strong, _Ken thought to himself, as he watched the mouse stand by its Trainer's side, seemingly uninterested in the praise he was receiving. _Hmm…have I seen this Pikachu before?_

"Yeah, Pika and I are real pals, right buddy?" the boy laughed, reaching down to pat the Pokémon's head.

"For the last time, my name isn't Pika!" the Pikachu growled, zapping his Trainer with a Thundershock and causing the boy to topple over.

Ken's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the irritable Pikachu. "_Chumly_?"

Hearing his real name spoken for the first time in a long time, Chumly turned around, mouth opening in surprise as he spotted Ken amongst the Trainers who had come to watch the battle. "Ken! Long time no see!"

Red stared in confusion as his Pikachu ran over to a boy who looked a great deal like a Mew, nuzzling him and chatting away like they were old friends. The Bulbasaur on the boy's shoulder quickly joined in the conversation, and the boy replied to the Pokémon's statements with a series of very excited sounding "Mews."

"It's great to see you again Ken!" Chumly laughed, scrambling onto the Mew hybrids unoccupied shoulder. He studied Ken thoughtfully for a moment, then gave him a curious sniff. "Although you do seem more like a Mew than I remember."

"Yeah, that's true," Ken admitted, scratching the Pikachu behind the ears. "I'm…kind of turning into a Mew, but I have no clue why."

"Doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me," Chumly replied with a shrug, sighing contentedly as Ken scratched his long ears.

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" Ken sighed, causing the Pikachu to laugh.

"Mew is a species of Pokémon worthy of great respect," Chumly explained, sounding wise. "Pokémon all of the world would give anything to be one." A mischievous grin crossed his face. "In fact, you should be grateful Ken. What other human has been blessed with such an honor? If I were you, I'd want the changes to hurry up so I could be a Mew already!"

"Well, I'd rather be a human," Ken replied, causing Chumly to look at him in disbelief.

"What's so great about being a human? All you can do is catch Pokémon and take the credit for everything that they do, like this idiot," Chumly laughed, motioning towards his Trainer, who had been watching the scene with confusion.

Realizing that he had pretty much just taken the boy's Pokémon from him, Ken headed over towards the Trainer, an apologetic look on his face.

"Sorry about that," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "See, Mew met your Pikachu in Viridian Forest, and Mew got be friends."

"That's fine," the boy laughed, reaching out his hand to shake Ken's. "I'm Red! It's nice to meet you!"

"Ken," Ken replied, accepting the boy's handshake. Chumly just rolled his eyes.

"So, you're a Trainer?" Red asked, looking interested.

"Well, kinda," Ken replied, glancing over at Sora. "I'm not really that good at battling."

Red looked surprised. "Really? I figured that, being part Pokémon and everything, that would come naturally to you."

_It does! Let me talk to him! _Mew Ken whined, and Ken shook his head, attempting to rid his other half from his consciousness.

"Oh. Well, that's fine too," Red continued, a big smile on his face. He glanced over at Chumly, looking thoughtful. "It must be so cool to be able to understand Pokémon."

At this, even Ken had to agree, and he smiled. "Yeah, it is."

Soon, the two of them were laughing and talking about their journeys, exchanging stories and telling each other about their goals.

"I plan on challenging the Pokémon League someday," Red explained after hearing about Ken's desire to travel and see new places. "Together with Pika, we're gonna take the Elite Four by storm!"

"Yeah right, like that would ever happen!"

Ken and Red turned to see the same boy with spiky brown hair that Ken had bumped into earlier watching them, a cocky grin on his face.

"What do you want Blue?" Red growled, fingering the Pokeballs at his waist.

"Oh nothing much," Blue shrugged, tossing a Pokeball up in the air and catching it. "Just a friendly battle with my rival!"

"That's fine by me!" Red replied, unclipping a Pokeball from his belt.

The tension in the air swelled as the two boys glared daggers at each other, making Ken wonder what he had gotten himself caught up in. Just as it looked like the two were about to get into an actual fight, Leaf walked behind them and put her arms around their shoulders, a huge smile on her face.

"Hey, Red, Blue, lighten up!" she laughed, giving them each a friendly pat on the back. "This is a party! You should be having _fun_! Not worrying about your silly little rivalry!"

"Hi Leaf," Red and Blue said at the same time, and ken couldn't tell if they were happy to see her or not.

"Don't mind these two, they've had this crazy rivalry of theirs ever since we were little kids!" Leaf explained with a laugh, and the two boys rolled their eyes. "Deep down, I think they're still best friends after all these years. They just don't want to admit it!"

"So how's it going working for Gramps?" Blue asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.

"Well it _was _going great until Professor Oak got replaced by a robot," Leaf explained, causing Red and Blue to sigh. From the look on their faces, Ken figured that Leaf said things like that a lot.

"Leaf," Blue began, sounding as if he was trying not to upset her, "remember the time you _swore _that Red's mom was an alien who wanted to steal his voice?" Leaf nodded, and Red sighed at the memory. "And you started shouting about how you had _proof _and everything?"

"Look, how was I supposed to know that she was just giving herself a facial?" Leaf protested, hands on her hips. "Her face was _green_! Besides, this is different! I dumped a bucket of water on Professor Oak's head—"

"Again?" Red and Blue asked, earning themselves a glare from Leaf.

"Yes, again. And guess what? He yelled at me and called me Green! The real Professor Oak would _never _do that!"

"Gramps is getting on in years," Blue muttered thoughtfully, a frown on his face. "Yesterday I called him to tell him that I was in Vermillion City, and he couldn't remember my name! He called me Gary," Blue explained, making a face. "What kind of name is Gary anyway?"

"He called me Ash this morning," Red said, for once agreeing with his rival. "I don't know what's with him lately."

"He's been replaced by an evil robot bent on world domination!" Leaf exclaimed, causing the two boys to groan. "His ultimate plan is to…drumroll…take over the world with an army of Mew clones!"

"Leaf, have you been taking your medication?" Blue asked, giving her a weird look.

"Not since I started working for Professor Oak, but that's not important right now!" Leaf replied dismissively, causing Blue to stare.

"It was a joke…" he mumbled, now eyeing the brunette warily.

"Leaf's always been a little…eccentric," Red explained, catching Ken's concerned look. "Don't worry; for her, this is normal."

"Well, come on you two!" Leaf laughed, taking her two childhood friends by the arms. "We're gonna go limbo!"

"But, there's no pole," Red pointed out, and Blue nodded.

"You have to use your imagination!" Leaf laughed. "Now come on!" And with that, she dragged the two boys off with her, both of them shooting Ken silent stares that clearly said, "Help me!"

Shaking his head, Ken decided to take a look around, only to bump into Lt. Surge as he rounded the corner.

"Kid? What are you doing here?" the man asked, a confused look on his face.

"A friend of mine gave Mew a ticket for the party," Ken replied, not sure what the problem was. "Why are Mew here?"

Lt. Surge blinked and looked around nervously before taking Ken by the arm and leading him into a nearby broom closet.

"Shhh!" he said when Ken tried to ask what was going on. "Look kid, you need to get off this ship right away! Don't you know that this whole thing is a Team Rocket scam to take peoples Pokémon away?"

"WHAT?" Ken demanded, only to have Lt. Surge cover his mouth. Instinctively, Ken sank his fangs into the man's hand.

"YOW!" Lt. Surge cried out, pulling away and inspecting the bite marks on his hand where two drops of blood glistened. "Jeez kid! What kind of teeth you got in there, a Rattata's?"

"A Mew's," Ken growled, tail flicking in irritation, and also somewhat unnerved that he had actuallyjust _bitten _someone. "Now can Mew _please _tell me what's going on?"

Lt. Surge sighed heavily, running a hand through his short blond hair. "All right, I guess I have to seeing as you're already here." He turned to Ken, a grave expression on his face. "Team Rocket is using the SS Anne to steal Pokémon from all over the world. The Boss will keep the rarest ones for himself, while the rest will be sold at the Game Corner in…well, that's not important right now. What _is _important is that you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don't you know that Team Rocket's number one goal right now is to capture you?"

"_Mew?_" Ken asked, unable to stop the small frightened squeak from escaping his lips. _All this for a Mew fossil? _

"You don't get it do you kid?" Lt. Surge sighed, shaking his head. "The Boss doesn't _care _about a Mew fossil." He paused, looking Ken deliberately in the eye. "Why would he care about some rock when he could have a living specimen?"

Ken stared blankly at the Gym Leader until the meaning of what he said finally sank in. "I AM NOT A POKEMON!" Ken screamed, only to have Lt. Surge cover his mouth again.

"Don't you dare bite me either!" the man growled, as he strained his hearing for any sound of footsteps, a panicked look on his face. After several moments of silence, Lt. Surge finally released Ken, sighing in relief. "Look, I'm trying to help you, kid. You could try to be a little more grateful."

"Well, Mew could start making sense!" Ken retorted, tail flicking angrily back and forth. "I'm not a Pokémon, and Mew don't appreciate everyone calling me one! What use could Team Rocket _possibly _have for me?"

Lt. Sure face palmed. Explaining to the Mew Boy that he was in serious danger was going to be harder than he thought. "Look, Team Rocket knows that you're slowly becoming more like a Pokémon," Lt. Surge explained, causing Ken to glance at his furry hands self-consciously. "They don't know why, but they intend to find out and finish the process, and are already set on capturing you!"

"And just how Mew you know so much?" Ken asked, regarding the Vermillion Gym Leader suspiciously. A lump formed in Ken's stomach as his conversation with Misty came flooding back:

"_It's only a rumor," Misty sighed, leaning in close to Ken so she could speak as softly as possible. "But…people are saying that some of the Gym Leaders aren't quite as…legit as the public is lead to believe."_

_"What do Mew mean?" Ken asked, ears twitching. _

_Misty hesitated, knowing that telling the Mew hybrid could destroy his trust in people forever. Still, she knew that she had to tell him. "Some people say that certain Gym Leaders are actually part of Team Rocket."_

_"What?" __Ken asked, eyes wide with disbelief._

_"Keep your voice __down__!" Misty hissed, glancing around to make sure no one had overheard. Sighing, she turned back to Ken, a worried look on her face. "Like I said, it's only a rumor. I just thought you should know, especially with all the talk that's going around." _

_"What kind Mew talk?" _

_Once more, Misty hesitated before continuing. "Well…they say that the leader of Team Rocket really only has one goal in mind: to control the most powerful Pokémon in existence, by any means necessary." She leaned in closer to Ken, her expression grave. "They say that he has his sights set on a Mew." _

_Ken's heart began to beat faster, recalling the incidents in the Pewter Museum of Science and Mt. Moon. By the sounds of it, the rumors might be true…_

_"Ken, listen to me! If what people say is true, then Team Rocket is going to come after you!" Misty cried out, her voice just above a whisper. _

_"Me?" Ken asked, mind nervously wandering to the supposed Mew fossil that lay tucked inside his backpack. "Why me?"_

_Misty let out a rather loud, impatient sounding sigh. "Honestly Ken, haven't you looked in a mirror lately? You're a Mew hybrid! Any idiot can see that, even the dumbest members of Team Rocket!"_

_"But I'm not a Pokémon!" Ken insisted, tail twitching impatiently. "They can't control Mew, or catch me in Mew Pokeball! I'm worthless to them!"_

_Misty shook her head, sadness visible in her eyes. "And you don't think that they could change that?" _

_Ken stared at Misty, not sure what to believe. _Are they the reason I'm becoming more like a Pokémon?_Ken wondered to himself. _If so, then how?_ He pondered the idea for a while, still not convinced. After all, he was pretty sure that he had already started changing before his first run in with Team Rocket. _

_"I don't know if any of this is true Ken. I just want you to be careful. They say that some Gym Leaders are legit, some are double agents, getting information on Team Rocket from the inside, and some are __really __working for Team Rocket. The problem is, you just can't be sure which are which. That's why I'm suggesting that you don't battle any more Gym Leaders. I don't even know that many of them all that well myself. Lt. Surge has a tendency to lock himself away in his gym, Sabrina is…well, creepy, Koga's obsessed with his invisible walls, Erika's always busy with her flower arranging, no one's heard from Blaine in years, and no one even knows __who __the eighth Gym Leader is!" _

_"What about Brock?" Ken asked, having never met the Pewter Gym Leader before. _

_Misty groaned. "He's the only Gym Leader who I __know __you can trust. He's only dangerous to pretty girls!" _

_Ken laughed at this, thankful that he knew at least one other Gym Leader was trustworthy. _

"You're with Team Rocket?" Ken asked, taking a nervous step backwards. Sora adjusted her position on Ken's shoulder, ready to defend him if necessary.

"No, but that's what I _want_ them to believe. I'm pretending to work for Team Rocket to find out some information from them, and from what I've heard, your number one on there must-catch list."

"So your one of Mew double agents?" Ken asked, still skeptical. "How do Mew know that you're telling me the truth?"

"Misty warned you about this stuff already, huh?" Lt. Sure laughed, and Ken took another cautious step backwards. "Well, as I'm sure she must've told you, there really is no way to be sure. But let me ask you this: if I _was _working for Team Rocket, why would I be telling you all this?"

Ken opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it, realizing that the man had a point.

"Good, looks like you sort of trust me, at the very least," Lt. Surge said, looking noticeably relieved. "Now, let's just—"

All of the sudden the door opened, and Ken and Lt. Surge found themselves staring into the faces of a pair of Team Rocket Grunts.

"Oh crap."

* * *

Author's notes: First of all, I'd like to thank Charri for helping me through my Writer's Block, and for giving me the idea of Ken and Mew Ken communicating through a mirror. Second, the dream scene is inspired by _In Mew's World. _For those of you who haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it. Next, a thank you to Chaosandcupcakes for inspiring the idea of Chumly being Red's Pikachu. While I couldn't make Chumly's father Red's Pikachu do to the time frame in which this story takes place, I hope you like this too. And yes, Red, Blue, and Leaf appear in this story! I think I'm going to enjoy writing Leaf's character, she's all kinds of wacky! XD Finally, yes, according to some history buffs _Ring Around the Rosie _is in fact about the plague. I know, I will never be able to look at that song the same way again. *shudders*

Marik: Yeah, _thanks Chris!_

Chris: Sorry!

Well, sorry for the wait, thanks for reading everybody! :)


	40. Chapter 39: Its My Party

Chapter 39: It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want to

Ken stared at the two Team Rocket Grunts feeling rather helpless. He cast a nervous glance back at Lt. Surge, but the man's expression had become stoic and unreadable.

"Lt. Surge Sir!" the first grunt announced, performing a polite solute to the former military man.

"Excellent job of capturing the Mew Boy, sir," the second grunt laughed, eyes full of greed. "Perhaps you would like our assistance in taking him back to the Boss?"

Ken sighed as the two Rocket Grunts stood awaiting Lt. Surge's reply, clearly hoping to get a chance to share in the credit. He would have found it rather pathetic if it weren't for the fact that he was now at the mercy of a group of criminals.

"I've got this covered," Lt. Surge replied with an evil looking grin, reaching for a Pokeball attached to his belt. "Proceed with the operation as planned."

"Yes sir!" the two grunts replied, saluting before dashing out of the closet.

Lt. Surge turned to Ken and the teen flinched, wondering how he supposed to defend himself against a Gym Leader.

"Do you think you could Transform into an Electric type?"

Ken blinked. "Huh?"

Lt. Surge sighed. "Look kid, I can't just waltz out of here with you like we're friends. Help me out here, will ya?"

"Oh! Uh…I've Transformed into a Pikachu before. Would that work?"

Lt. Surge smiled. "Now you're thinkin' kid."

Ken frowned. On the one hand, he still wasn't entirely sure that he could trust the man. After all, if he Transformed into a Pikachu, couldn't Lt. Surge take the opportunity to capture him in a Pokeball? Still, it wasn't like he had many other options. Sighing, he began to focus on the appearance of a Pikachu, his body giving off a bright glow.

_Not like that! _Mew Ken scolded, breaking Ken's concentration before he even had the chance to Transform, the glow immediately dissipating.

_What's the problem? _Ken growled, irritated that his Transformation had been cut off.

_You have to visualize what you want your body to do! _Mew Ken explained, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. _If you don't, and rely on your body to do it by itself, you'll get details wrong. _

_Like ending up as a human shaped Pikachu? _Ken asked, shuddering at the memory.

Mew Ken giggled. _Yep! That was funny!_

"Uh…everything ok kid?" Lt. Surge asked, looking concerned and a tad confused.

Ken's tail bristled. "You wanna try Transforming and see how easy it is? Give me a sec, jeez!"

Following Mew Ken's advice, Ken began to visualize the changes taking place: picturing the yellow fur spreading across his body and his ears elongating. He nearly stopped the Transformation in surprise when he felt on odd itch spread across his body and a strange sensation in his ears.

_Holy crap, this actually works! _Ken realized, imagining his tail changing shape, his feet and hands reshaping themselves, and his face changing to that of a Pikachu's, complete with cheek pouches. Finally, he pictured himself shrinking, getting smaller and smaller until he was about a foot tall. As he did so, the changes did in fact take place, although he had the strangest feeling that he was forgetting something.

"PIKA!" Ken cried out as his backpack fell on top of him, nearly flattening him. _Why is it that I can never morph the backpack? _Ken asked Mew Ken, his Pokémon half giggling in response. Crawling out from underneath the backpack, which was about the same size he was and a whole lot heavier, Ken proceeded to inspect his handiwork. As far as he could tell, it had been a completely successful Transformation.

"Great work kid!" Lt. Surge praised, picking up Ken's backpack and tossing it over one shoulder. "Even I wouldn't be able to distinguish you from the real thing!" He glanced at Sora, who was sitting on the floor next to Ken, and frowned. "But we'll have to return your Pokémon, there's no way that Team Rocket is gonna buy that I have a Bulbasaur."

"Sora doesn't really like Pokeballs," Ken explained, glancing at the stubborn Bulbasaur, who nodded. "Maybe we could—"

"Whoa, hold on kid!" Lt. Surge sighed, holding up his hands for Ken to stop. "I can't understand a word your saying! Can't you speak English?"

Ken opened his mouth to respond, but sighed and shook his head.

"Huh. Well, that's going to make things a bit more difficult. Can you get your Pokémon in its Pokeball at least?" Lt. Surge asked, pulling the Pokeball with the leaf symbol out of Ken's backpack.

"Sora is a _girl_!" Ken growled, although he knew that the man wouldn't understand. Turning to Sora, he was about to beg her to get inside her Pokeball, when a brilliant idea struck him. Jumping onto Lt. Surge's shoulder, he rummaged through his backpack until he came to Zoey's Pokeball and released the Fairy Pokémon.

"Where is Zoey?" the little Clefairy asked, looking confused.

"No time to explain Zoey," Ken sighed, jumping down next to his friend. "Now I need you to use Minimize on Sora!"

"WHAT?" Sora asked, looking at the Mew hybrid turned Pikachu like he had just grown a second head.

"It's either that or the Pokeball," Ken replied, arms crossed. "Take your pick."

Sighing, Sora nodded, and the little Clefairy giggled, glowing a bright pink before placing her hand on the Bulbasaur. Immediately, Sora began to shrink, and it wasn't long before she was small enough to fit in someone's pocket.

"I had better not go crazy Ken!" the little Bulbasaur squeaked, causing Ken to cover his mouth with his paws to keep from bursting out laughing.

Carefully, Sora walked over to Lt. Surge, who muttered, "I'm not even gonna ask," before placing her in his pocket.

Recalling Zoey to her Pokeball and placing the item in his backpack, Ken jumped onto Lt. Surge's shoulder, praying that he would get out of this without ending up as a science experiment for Team Rocket.

* * *

Back at the party, Red, Blue, and Leaf were engaged in a game of pole-less limbo, when all of a sudden, Leaf stopped, a deep frown on her face.

"Silence! I sense a disturbance in the force!"

"I'm sure sensing a disturbance," Blue grumbled, causing Red to elbow him in the ribs. Chumly tilted his head to the side, ears twitching. Something didn't feel right to him either.

"Leaf, everything's fine," Red laughed, hoping to keep the girl from having one of her crazy outbursts. "Let's just enjoy the party—"

"All right kids, party's over!" a Team Rocket grunt laughed, as the place was swarmed with Team Rocket members. "Hand over your Pokémon and no one gets hurt!"

"See! I told you so!" Leaf exclaimed dramatically, as Blue attempted to grab her by the arm and pull her out of harm's way. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that they were trapped, Rocket members closing in from all sides, evil grins plastered on their faces.

"Let's go Pika!" Red called out, the Electric mouse for once jumping to his aid without question. "Matches! I need you, too!" Red tossed a Pokeball and a Charmander appeared in a burst of light, joining the Pikachu to defend his Trainer from the imminent threat.

"Squirt! Come on out!" Blue called, releasing his Squirtle into the fray.

Leaf looked ecstatic. "Finally! A team battle with my two best friends! Go…Hotwings!"

"Hotwings?" Red and Blue asked, as Leaf tossed the Pokeball in hand, one marked with some sort of star symbol. There was a flash of light and from it, a small brown Pokémon materialized, swishing its fluffy tail and squeaking adorably.

"Uh…Leaf?" Blue muttered, preparing to ask the question that was on everybody's mind. "Why did you name your Eevee 'Hotwings'?"

"Well, I was hungry and I kept thinking about how it was half price on hot wings at Pizza Hut!" Leaf laughed, causing her friends to facepalm. "Besides, after a while, the name kinda stuck!"

"At least it's original," Read laughed, and Blue shook his head, having the distinct feeling that all the Rocket grunts were now laughing at them.

"Whatever, let's just show these crooks what a Trainer from Pallet Town can do!" Blue announced, as the four Pokémon leapt into battle.

* * *

"Oh man, this is not good!" Chris muttered, sweat dripping down the back of his neck. The place was crawling with Rockets, and worse still, he had no idea where Ken and Marik had gotten to. Footsteps approached, and he pressed himself against the wall, fearing that he had been spotted. He held his breath. A few suspenseful moments later, the footsteps changed directions, causing Chris to let out a sigh of relief. _Guys, I really hope that you're all right._

* * *

"Ok, kid, just a little bit further and we'll have you out—yow!" Lt. Surge cried out, glaring at the Pikachu on his shoulder who had just bitten him on the ear. The man sighed. "Let me guess: you have friends on this ship?" the Pikachu nodded, cheeks sparking determinedly. Lt. Surge sighed heavily, running a hand through his short blond hair. "You know kid, you're a lot of trouble, you know that?"

"Pika!" the Pikachu chirped, looking pleased with himself.

* * *

"We can't keep this up forever," Blue groaned, as his Squirtle continued to tangle with a Rattata. "There's too many of them!"

"That's the point!" Red growled, as Chumly Thundershocked a Zubat into submission. "They'll just keep coming until we have no Pokémon left to defend ourselves!"

"Then let's get creative!" Leaf laughed, calling her Eevee over to her. "Hotwings use Shadow Ball!"

The Eevee opened its mouth and released several shadowy orbs, which collided and exploded, producing a makeshift smokescreen. The trio grabbed their Pokémon and made a run for it, deciding that a full on frontal assault was _not_ going to work.

"Ok, let's just—oof!" Leaf groaned, crashing into a muscular figure as she rounded the corner. "Hotwings use Shadow Ball!" she called out, figuring that she should make the first move before the enemy had the chance to strike.

The shadowy orb flew through the air and crashed into its target, who seemed completely unharmed.

"Uh…you do know that Ghost type moves don't work on Normal types, right?" Chris asked, more than a little surprised.

"Oh, it's just you, sorry! I thought you were with Team Rocket!" Leaf laughed, signaling to Hotwings that it was ok.

"Who is this guy?" Blue asked, eyeing Chris suspiciously.

"He's Ken's friend!" Leaf explained happily. "His name is…er…what was it again? Phil!"

"Chris," the Rigigigas hybrid sighed, not even bothering to point out that that hadn't even been close. "Trainer, Rigigigas hybrid, and completely scared out of his mind."

"Yeah, I never expected Team Rocket to attempt something like this," Red agreed, nodding sympathetically.

"Hold the phone!" Blue shouted, walking up to Chris and eyeing him strangely. "So, your part Pokémon like that Mew Boy?"

"His name is Ken, and yeah," Chris replied with a shrug. "Now _really_ isn't the best time to get into that."

"Just how many of you people _are there_?"

"At least three last time I checked, could be more, I don't know."

"So there's you, the Mew Boy, and who else?"

"Marik, he's part Manaphy," Chris explained, receiving a blank look from Red, Blue, and Leaf.

"Rigigigas," Chris said, showing them a picture of his Pokémon half via the Pokedex, "and Manaphy," he explained, scrolling down to the small blue water type.

Blue stared at the images, to Chris, back to the images, and back to Chris, eyes wide with confusion. "How—"

"Not what you're thinking," Chris replied, shoving the Pokedex back into his backpack. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to find my friends before something bad happens to them!"

"We'll help you!" Leaf exclaimed, causing Blue to shoot her a look that clearly asked if she was joking. "After all, there's strength in numbers! Now let's ride! Climbs on Ponyta as dramatic western music plays!"

Chris simply stared. "Does she always talk like that?" he whispered.

Red and Blue nodded. "Every single day."

* * *

Ken clung nervously to Lt. Surge's shoulder, cheeks sparking nervously. The place was crawling with Rockets, and there was still no sign of his friends. Suddenly, his ears perked up as he was met with an odd ripping sound. Ken watched in shock and horror as Lt. Surge's pocket literally exploded, and a full sized Sora came tumbling onto the floor, looking confused.

"Uh…sir?" one Rocket grunt asked, looking as if he didn't quite believe what he had just seen. "Did a Bulbasaur just fall out of your pocket?"

"Uh…I have no idea what you're talking about!" Lt. Surge replied, whistling a merry tune as he continued along his way, and leaving one particular Rocket grunt to remind himself to demand a vacation.

* * *

"That was close," Ken sighed, as he and Lt. Surge rounded the corner, Sora doing her best to stay out of sight.

"Ok, we need a new plan!" Lt. Surge groaned. That last encounter had been a bit too close for comfort. He glanced at the Bulbasaur, who looked a little dazed after the whole ordeal. "Hey kid, does your Pokémon know Sleep Powder by any chance?" Ken shook his head, causing Lt. Surge to sigh. "Well then, we're just gonna have to get creative. There should be a fuse box around here somewhere, and if we can cut the lights, it _might _give us an advantage. Think you can help out with that?" Ken blinked, causing the man to sigh. "You _can _use Electric attacks in that form, right?"

Ken shrugged. He figured that he _could_ if only he knew _how. _Tensing his muscles, Ken felt his cheeks spark, but nothing else happened. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried again. He could feel the energy flowing through him, and he attempted to push this energy out of him with all his might.

"PIKA…CHUUUUU!" Ken cried, electricity flying everywhere and shocking everything in sight, including Sora and Lt. Surge. Feeling rather dizzy, Ken opened his eyes, stunned to find Lt. Surge and Sora lying on the floor in a heap, their bodies sparking with residual electricity.

"Kid," Lt. Surge groaned, as he pulled himself into a sitting position, "you need some practice."

"Pika," Ken agreed, letting out a sigh as his legs gave out beneath him.

Chuckling, Lt. Surge picked up the exhausted Pikachu and returned the temporarily stunned Sora to her Pokeball before she even had the chance to protest. "Don't worry, I'm sure Raichu can handle it on his own."

Ken nodded gratefully, and wearily snuggled into the man's arms, dozing off almost instantly.

* * *

"Ok, so what's the plan?" Red asked, as he followed after a concerned Chris, an excited Leaf, and a grumpy Blue.

"We find Ken and get him to use the tears of Pokémon to bring our loved ones back to life!" Leaf proclaimed, causing everyone else to stare.

"Ok…what she said, minus that last part," Chris sighed.

Rounding the corner, the group came face to face with Lt. Surge, a sleeping Pikachu curled up on his right shoulder.

"Die evil wizard! I will not allow you to get away with turning are friend into a Pikachu!" Leaf screamed, raising her hand as if she were holding a wand. "Abrakadabra! Alakazam! Hypno!"

Lt. Surge stared at the girl, not sure what to make of her. _Either she picks up on things that others don't, or she's just plain nuts. _"Look, I had him use Transform so that I could get him out of here," Lt. Surge explained, passing the sleeping Pikachu and backpack to the nearest individual who was not screaming at him, a boy in a white fur coat. "I'm a double agent, getting top secret information from Team Rocket, and believe it or not, I just want to help your friend."

"Then why is he unconscious?" Chris asked, not liking this one bit.

Lt. Surge sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I wanted to see if he could use an Electric attack so he could help me cut the power, but he overdid it and knocked himself out."

Chris blinked in surprise. "Ken did that?"

The man nodded. "Zapped me good too! I'll tell ya, that kid is gonna be pretty strong once he learns how to use his abilities!" Lt. Surge laughed, causing Chris to smile. "Well, come on! The control room should be just up ahead here!"

Following Lt. Surge down the corridor, the group was thankful when they didn't encounter any Rockets along the way.

"How come no one's up here?" Chris asked, as Ken continued to doze in his arms.

"Because there aren't any Trainers up here," Lt. Surge replied, making his way to a door. "These are just the captain's courtiers, nothing up here but the controls and the captain himself!"

Pushing the door open, the group was met with the unnerving sight of the captain, bound and gagged in a corner of the room, his eyes pleading for help.

"That's awful," Leaf whispered, serious for one of the few times in her life.

"He's fine, considering all the things they could've done to 'em," Lt. Surge sighed, causing the girl to shiver.

In Chris's arms Ken began to stir, letting out a loud yawn and stretching his arms over his head. He blinked sleepily for a moment, before focusing his gaze on Chris.

"Chris? What's going on? How did I get here?"

"Lt. Surge says that you overused an Electric attack," Chris explained, as the man in question glanced around for a circuit breaker. "Congratulations by the way, seems like your battle skills are improving."

Ken blushed and nodded before jumping out of Chris's arms and Transforming back to his human form. "So, what are Mew doing here?"

"Trying to cut the power," Lt. Surge laughed, grinning ear to ear as he located the circuit breaker. "That oughta give the Trainers on board a chance to high-tail it outta here!"

"Anyway we can help?" Red asked, and Blue and Leaf nodded in agreement.

"Ok, you in the hat, your Pikachu can help me and my Raichu cut the power," Lt. Surge explained, releasing Raichu from his Pokeball. "You with the spiky hair, go guard the door and make sure nobodies comin'. You—"

"Leaf," Leaf said firmly, startling Lt. Surge a bit.

"Right. Leaf, you help him. We can't let Team Rocket win." Leaf nodded and joined Blue by the door, a determined look on her face. Lt. Surge turned to Ken and Chris. "Either of you have a Fire type?"

"I do sir," Chris explained, raising his hand.

Lt. Surge smiled. "Good. You go around and start setting off the sprinklers. If the passengers think that the ships on fire, chances are they'll vacate and it should cause some trouble for Team Rocket, too." Chris nodded, releasing Jerry from his Pokeball. Finally, Lt. Surge turned to Ken. "Kid, free the captain, make sure he doesn't make too big of a fuss, then join your buddy. He'll need some backup out there!"

"Right!" Ken agreed, pausing when he heard Chumly, who had been silent this whole time, speak up.

"_DAD_?"

The Raichu blinked, not sure if he had heard correctly. "Son?" Sniffing the Pikachu, all doubts were washed away. The Pikachu had his scent, his mate's scent, and the scent of Viridian Forest: his home.

Wrapping his long thin tail around the smaller Electric rodent, the two were silent for a long time, weeping tears of joy.

"Ok…what just happened?" Red asked, completely confused.

"Long story short, Lt. Surge's Raichu is Mew Pikachu's father," Ken explained, chuckling as both Red and Lt. Surge stared in shock.

"Dad," Chumly asked, not sure if he was going to like the answer, "how come you never came back?"

The Raichu sighed. "I wanted to, believe me. I hated this guy for breaking up our family." He motioned towards Lt. Surge, cheeks sparking. "But then, I got to know him. We had good times, bad times, and sad times, too. But through it all, we stuck together, and I knew that I had found a friend that I could count on, no matter what." A smile broke out on his face and he pumped his fist in the air. "We worked hard and never let anyone stand in the way of our dreams!" He turned to his son, a smile on his face. "It can be that way for you too, you know."

Chumly blinked in surprise and turned towards Red, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"But he's an idiot!" Chumly protested, cheeks sparking defiantly.

His father laughed. "Wow, you really are my kid, aren't you?" He wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder, turning the Pikachu to look at Red. "I said the same thing about my Trainer. When we first met, I thought he was just a stupid human with a stupid dream. He was eighteen, awfully old to be starting a Pokémon journey, and had the crazy idea of enlisting in the army in couple months. I personally thought he was a complete moron who had set his hopes too high. But we worked together, got through the war, trained hard, and ended up stationed at the Vermillion City Pokémon Gym. Doesn't seem like such an idiot now, does he?"

Chumly was silent, not quite sure what to think about the whole thing. "How did you know that he'd be something special?" he finally asked.

"I didn't!" the Raichu laughed. "Back then, it was all about looking out for each other, you know what I mean? We became friends."

Chumly blinked. "Friends? With a human?"

Raichu nodded. "Humans aren't all bad you know, although sometimes humans do bad things." The Raichu paused and held up his tail, the tip of which appeared to exhibit the remains of an old bullet wound. Chumly gulped. "That's war for ya kid. I've saved his life before and he's saved mine. There aren't any hero's, any villains. We're just a bunch of guys scared out of our wits blowin' holes in each other. Truth is, everybody's scared, and that's why having friends to count on is such an important thing. You have to learn to take whatever life gives you and accept it, the good and the bad. Lt. Surge taught me that."

Chumly stared at his father, mouth open in awe. To have that kind of loving, trusting relationship with a human was something that he couldn't yet understand. He looked over at Red, wondering if they could ever have that kind of friendship…

"He wants to be your friend you know," Raichu said, making Chumly jump. "If I were you, I'd give him a chance."

Slowly, Chumly nodded, and walked over to Red, sniffing at him cautiously.

"Pika?" Red asked, reaching out a hand towards the Pikachu, pulling it back slightly, as if in fear of being shocked. "You ok?"

Chumly stared up at his Trainer for a moment before smiling and nodding. "Yeah. And…I think that I'm ok with the name now."

Red blinked in surprise then burst out laughing as the newly named Pika jumped into his arms, nuzzling him affectionately. The mouse wasn't sure where their journey was going to lead, but he kind of liked the idea of having someone like the boy in the hat around. He liked the idea of having a friend.

"Oh my gosh Red, that is just soooooo cuuuuute!" Leaf squealed, eyes starry. "It's official! Someday I'm going to catch a Pikachu!"

Unfortunately, no sooner had she said this, that three Team Rocket grunts entered the room.

"Uh…Blue? I think we forgot to guard the door!" Leaf laughed, grinning sheepishly as her friends facepalmed.

Red and Blue quickly sprang into action, sending out Matches and Squirt to join Pika, Jerry, and Hotwings, Ken tossing a Pokeball to reveal a rested, and extremely annoyed, looking Sora. The Rocket grunts sent out a bunch of Koffing and Zubat.

"Koffing," the first Rocket announced, "use Poison Gas!"

"Don't breathe it in!" Lt. Surge screamed, covering his mouth as a thick cloud of toxic fumes engulfed the area, the other Koffing following suit with the Zubat blowing the smoke away from their owners.

_What am I supposed to do? _Ken wondered, holding his breath and feeling as if his lungs were about to burst.

"Ken!" Sora called out, her eyes wide with worry.

Ken blinked, realizing for perhaps the first time that Sora was part Poison, and thus, was immune to poisoning.

_SORA, PLEASE MAKE THE KOFFING STOP! _Ken mentally called out as loud as he could, praying that she would hear him.

Nodding, Sora turned and faced the Rockets, well aware that her friend couldn't hold his breath for much longer. A blue powder shimmered from within her bulb, and she released it full force. The Koffing and Zubat immediately dozed off, their Trainers following immediately after. Raichu smashed a window open with Iron Tail, giving the toxic chemicals a chance to filter out with the warm sea breeze.

Everyone took a much need breath of air as the toxic cloud dissipated, realizing how bad that situation could have been. Ken reached down and patted Sora on the head, never more grateful to have picked Bulbasaur the day he started his journey in his life. The Grass and Poison type snuggled into his hand, happy that her friend was all right.

"Way to go Ken!" Chris exclaimed, giving the Mew hybrid a friendly thump on the back. "You and Sora saved us!"

Ken could feel his face heat up as he began to blush heavily, then remembered the poor captain who had been tied up the entire time. He rushed over and quickly undid the man's gag.

"Please!" the man gasped, clearly glad to be able to speak again. "Please, you must stop those Rockets! They're going to…" the man paused, eyes widening as he noticed the ears and twitching tail for, apparently, the first time. "Oh dear…I think those fumes must have gotten to me. I'm starting to see things!"

"Actually, I really am part Mew," Ken explained, watching as the man's astonished expression increased ten-fold.

"But how…? How did—"

"Do you want Mew to put the gag back on?" Ken asked, not really in the mood to explain with Team Rocket asleep on the floor inches from him.

The man frantically shook his head. "No! Please! Hurry and untie me!"

Ken nodded and attempted to untie the man, then sighed. "Ok, who here has nails? I don't have any. Literally."

"Ooh! Let me do it! I always wanted to untie a hostage!" Leaf squealed, and Red and Blue exchanged glances.

While everyone was left questioning Leaf's sanity—again—Chris quickly untied the captain, much to the man's immense relief.

"Ok, the plan still stands!" Lt. Surge said, as everybody got into position. "We're going to foil Team Rocket's plan, even if we have to do it indirectly! Now let's go!"

* * *

"Jeez, this place is crawling with Rockets," Chris sighed uneasily, as he and Ken just barely avoided being spotted. "And you know, even if we manage to set off one sprinkler, it's not like all of them are going to go off. They're not telepathic, you know! That kind of thing only works in movies! I don't think this plan is—"

"Do you always babble about useless trivia when you're nervous?" Ken asked, hand placed firmly over Chris's mouth. Chris nodded, causing Ken to sigh. "Look, even if we only set a few off, there's a good chance that it will at least distract Team Rocket long enough for some people to escape. We have to let them know that they can't get away with a stunt like this!"

"I _know that_!" Chris growled, shoving Ken's hand off of his face. "I'm just saying that we're going to need some kind of distraction!"

"Like _what_?" Ken demanded, right ear twitching once.

* * *

"This is never gonna work!" Ken groaned, hoisting the sleeping Rocket grunt onto his shoulder, the man snoring loudly in his ear.

"You got any better ideas?" Chris demanded, carrying two grunts of his own.

"_Yes_. We go with the plan that Lt. Surge came up with!"

"We'll get to that! This will at least by us some extra time."

"Why do I listen to you?" Ken groaned, as Chris released Arch from his Pokeball.

* * *

"So, how many Pokémon have we managed to capture so far?" a grunt asked his friend, who shrugged.

"It's gotta be well over a hundred!" the man chuckled, loving the thought of all the profit they were going to make.

"Uh…we're called Team Rocket, right?"

"_Yeah_, you've been working for us for three years! What did you think we were called?"

"And…we can't actually fly, right?" the first continued, his gaze wandering upwards.

"What? Why would we be able to…" the second grunt trailed off, following his colleague's gaze. "Brad?"

"Yeah?"

"Are those three of our guys?"

"Yeah."

"And are they…flying around the ceiling?"

"Uh-huh."

"I thought so."

"AHHHHHHHH!" the two grunts screamed, grabbing each other before running down the halls for dear life, screaming about how the SS Anne was haunted.

"Ok, even I have to admit that was awesome!" Ken laughed, as Arch released his psychic hold on the grunts.

"Told you it was a good idea!" Chris chuckled. "Now let's go turn on as many sprinklers as we can before those two idiots alert someone smart!"

The two rounded the corner, only to come face to face with the Team Rocket Supervisor.

"Hello Mew Boy," the man chuckled, a crazed look in his eye. He sent out his Sandslash and Arbok, an evil smile finding its way to his face. "It's time for you to pay for all the trouble you caused me! I'm sure the boss will reward me greatly for being the one to bring in such a rare Pokémon."

"I'M NOT A POKEMON!" Ken shouted, and he felt his tail stiffen seconds before it smashed into a nearby wall.

The man smirked. "So, you've learned Iron Tail, have you? Not a bad attack, but I'm sure the boss will teach you something better. Now, Arbok use Glare!"

The snake opened her eyes wide and stared at Ken, unblinking, sending a chill down the boy's spine. A lump formed in his throat as he found that he couldn't move. The Pokémon let out a hiss as her body, too, refused to obey her.

_Synchronize, _Ken realized, thankful that the Arbok wouldn't be giving them much trouble at least.

The man returned the snake, not looking the least bit concerned, and motioned towards his Sandslash, the Pokémon beginning to sharpen his claws eagerly.

"Now Mew Boy, will you come quietly, or do I have to use force?" the man asked, pulling out an empty Pokeball from his belt.

Ken stared at the red and white sphere, knowing exactly what the man planned to use it for. "For Mew last time, I'm not a Pokémon!" Ken spat, struggling to move his body. His tail twitched and glowed for a couple seconds, but that was about it.

The Rocket Supervisor laughed. "The first rule of capture is to weaken the target. Status conditions such as Poison, Sleep, and Paralysis are also effective."

"Shut up!" Ken shouted, trying his best to tune out what the man was saying. He was talking about him like he was some kind of wild Pokémon waiting to be captured.

"Jerry, Smokescreen!"

The little Fire Mouse obeyed, spewing a huge cloud of black smoke. During the resulting confusion, Chris quickly grabbed Ken and dragged him off to safety, the Team Rocket Supervisor futilely shouting orders to his Pokémon as they managed to escape.

_This is familiar, _Ken thought to himself miserably, as he was carried through the SS Anne on one of Chris's shoulders.

"Sorry Ken," Chris sighed, glancing around nervously for any sign of Team Rocket. "Just give me a minute, I'm sure I've got some Paralyze Heals in here somewhere," he explained, propping Ken up against a nearby wall as he dug through his backpack.

Ken sighed, feeling his legs wobble beneath him. This wasn't what he had had in mind when he'd come to this party. "There are plenty of Lum Berries in my backpack, you know."

"Oh, right!" Chris laughed, smacking his forehead and looking rather embarrassed. Taking Ken's backpack from him, Chris unzipped it, located the berries, and gave them to Ken, who gratefully consumed them.

It took mere moments for the fruit to work its magic, and Ken was soon back on his feet, for once glad that Pokémon remedies worked on him.

"This isn't going to work!" Ken sighed, flattening himself against the wall as several Rocket grunts dashed by. "This place is crawling with Rockets, and there's _no way_ that we'll be able to set off enough sprinklers to get people's attention!"

Chris sighed, although he had to admit that he'd been suspecting the same thing for a while now. Jerry just didn't have enough firepower to get the job done…

"Thought you could get away, did you?" The Rocket Supervisor laughed, a newly healed Arbok coiled beside him. "I'll have you know that Arbok can sense heat signatures! Weren't expecting that, were you Mew Boy?"

Chris flinched; he'd really been hoping that the Smokescreen trick would buy them some more time.

"Nowhere to run now, Mew Boy," the man chuckled, he and his Pokémon inching steadily closer. "Soon you will belong to Team Rocket!"

"Forget it!" Ken growled, noticing that his tail beginning to glow and take on a metallic sheen. In a last ditch effort, he charged at the man, attempting to angle himself so that his tail would strike his intended target, only to have the furry appendage twist around before hitting the nearby wall.

The Rocket Supervisor snorted. "What's the matter, Mew Boy? Can't control your new move yet?" The man reached out and grabbed Ken, who began to struggle in an attempt to break free of his grasp, but to no avail.

_I may not know how to use Iron Tail, _Ken thought to himself with a smile as the Rocket's hand came dangerously close to his mouth, _but I do have fangs and I'm not afraid to use 'em!_

The Rocket Supervisor let out a howl of pain as the Mew hybrid sank his fangs into his exposed flesh, releasing his hold on him and holding his hand, where two bite marks were clearly visible. "Why you…"

Chris stared at Ken in surprise. He'd never expected his friend to go so far as to actually _bite _someone. Still, there were more important matters to worry about right now. He turned to Jerry, the little Cyndaquil staring the man down with surprising courage, his back blazing with fire. _Oh Jerry, I wish you were strong enough to handle this guy…_

Everyone's eyes widened at what happened next. Jerry's back flame suddenly doubled in volume and the little Pokémon began glowing with a white light, his body beginning to grow and change shape. When the light cleared, a Quilava stood where a Cyndaquil had been moments before.

"Jerry?" Chris asked, too shocked to say anything else.

The Quilava's back flared, and he released a powerful looking Flamethrower at the Rocket Supervisor, causing the man to jump backwards in surprise.

The Sandslash and Arbok attempted to attack the little weasel-like Pokémon, only to be repelled by his flames. It was around this time that Chris realized the truth about the situation.

"Holy crap! The SS Anne really _is _on fire!" Scooping up Sora and a slightly confused looking Jerry, Ken and Chris began to high tail it out of there, the powerful flames already begining to spread.

* * *

"Ok," Lt. Surge said, as he motioned towards the circuit breaker, "the object here is to just pump as much power into this thing as you can."

"Think you can handle it?" Raichu asked his son teasingly.

"Heck yeah, baby!" Pika laughed, cheeks beginning to spark with electrical power.

"Raichu!" Lt. Surge called.

"Pika!" Red added.

"Thunderbolt!"

The two Trainers immediately took a cautious step back, surprised at the power of the combined voltage of their two Pokémon.

* * *

"What's going on?" a Rocket asked, as the lights all over the ship suddenly went out.

"Sir, we're getting reports that the sprinklers are being set off, too, and some people are saying that the ship is on fire!" a grunt explained, barely able to find the other man in the dark.

"Perfect. What else could go wrong?" the man demanded, arms crossed.

"Well, a couple of guys were running around and screaming about the place being haunted," the grunt replied, wondering if telling his teammate that was such a good idea.

All around were sounds of Trainers scrambling for the exit as the Team Rocket members fumbled in the darkness, and in the distance, the sounds of police sirens could be heard.

The Rocket groaned. "Curse that Mew Boy!"

Realizing that there plan had been ruined, the Rockets grabbed as many of the stolen Pokémon as they could and fled the crime scene, knowing that it would be better to quit while they were ahead.

* * *

"Well, the sprinklers put out the fire, so there's no problem there. We also managed to get most of the Pokémon safely returned to their owners," Officer Jenny explained once some of the panic had died down. "However, there are still several missing." She cast a tearful glance back at the SS Anne, shaking her head. "There's a chance that those Trainers may never see their Pokémon again."

"But you'll do the best Mew can to find them, won't Mew?" Ken asked, a lump forming in the pit of his stomach. If anything were to happen to Sora or his other Pokémon, he didn't know what he'd do.

Officer Jenny sighed. "I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises. Our police force is doing everything we can to put a stop to Team Rocket."

Ken nodded, knowing that it would take some time before things were right again.

Chris frowned, sure that he was forgetting something. "Hey, has anybody seen Marik?"

* * *

Back on board the SS Anne, a very confused Manaphy hybrid poked his head out of one of the cabins, glancing curiously around the dark and empty hallway.

"Hey, where'd everybody go?" he asked, noticing that all of the ships guests had mysteriously vanished. "What happened to the party?"

* * *

"What do you mean the plan failed?" Giovanni demanded, dangerously close to smashing the phone in his hand into a million pieces.

"I-I'm sorry sir!" one of his underlings sputtered, aware that he was about to be in a world of pain. "The good news is, some Pokémon _were _successfully captured and shipped to Celadon, though the Mew Boy was not amongst them. We were also able to determine that the Mew Boy _may _have had accomplices, as shown in this security tape that we were able to snatch." The screen in Giovanni's office flickered as an image of Red, Blue, and Leaf appeared, fighting off several Rocket grunts with their Pokémon. "We're pretty sure that the boy in the hat used his Pikachu to cut the power, and he may or may not have been the one to set off the sprinkler system, although the Mew Boy's traveling companions may also have been likely suspects." The screen flickered again, this time showing Chris making his way down the hall on the lookout for Team Rocket members, glancing around once in a while as if in search of something, or someone.

Giovanni frowned. "And the other one?"

The Rocket sighed, and the image shifted once again, this time to Marik in one of the cabins, chatting with a girl around his age, as she stared at him like he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. The Rocket sped up the footage, and the Manaphy hybrid kept talking, and talking, and _talking_, before dozing off and falling asleep on the bed.

Giovanni facepalmed. "Am I to understand that he spent the entire party chatting with some girl?"

"Pretty much sir."

Giovanni shook his head as he stared at the image of the sleeping Manaphy hybrid. "Completely useless." Turning his gaze to the three Trainers, a frown came to his face. "That girl, isn't she the Professor's assistant?"

"Yes sir. And we believe that the boy with the spiky hair is the Professor's grandson, Blue Oak. We're not sure who the other boy is, but he's meddled in our plans before back at Mt. Moon. Between him and Brock, we were forced to withdraw our forces."

Giovanni frowned as he stared at the screen, his eyes full of hatred. "They will pay for meddling in Team Rocket's affairs," he growled, his Persian curling up in his lap. "I will make sure of that!"

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Chris asked, once they had finally managed to locate Marik. "You spent the whole party talking to some girl while the rest of us were fighting off Team Rocket?"

Marik blinked. "Team Rocket was here?"

"I'm more surprised he didn't get smacked," Ken muttered, as Chris facepalmed.

"What? I happen to ooze style and charm!" Marik laughed, winking and striking a pose.

"You used Charm on her, didn't you?" Chris asked, and the Manaphy hybrid shifted nervously.

"What? No, of course not! I wouldn't do that!" he laughed, as his friends continued to stare at him. "Yeah, ok, maybe I did kinda use my Charm attack on her, but the point is, she loves me!"

Chris sighed. "Charm makes the user look about ten times cuter than they actually are. Basically, she found you good looking and decided to hang out with you. That's about it, especially seeing as the attack would've worn off by now."

"So she thinks she found a hot guy, only to realize that it's just some fish boy?" Ken laughed, causing Marik to glare at him. "Maybe that's why she wasn't there when you woke up!"

"I am not a fish boy!" Marik shouted, his antenna popping up and waving about angrily, and everyone laughed.

"So, what are your plans now kid?" Lt. Surge asked Ken, a thoughtful look on his face. "You know that Team Rocket's still after you, and the next place they'll look would be Cerulean. There's a route there that everybody's been takin' since there's a Snorlax that tends to come down from the mountains around here, blocking traffic. It will eventually get you to Celadon if you head through Rock Tunnel and into Lavender Town—"

"NO!" Marik suddenly screamed, causing everybody to stare at him. "Uh…I mean, if that's the road everybody's taking, we should take a different route, right?"

Lt. Surge nodded. "Your buddy's got the right idea kid!" He turned and pointed up north, where a gate could just be seen in the distance. "My advice would be to take the road up north towards Saffron City. I've got a contact there named Sabrina who also happens to be a double agent. She should be able to help you out, and maybe even help you to get your abilities under control. Look kid, Team Rocket thinks you're a heck of a lot stronger than you actually are, so you'd better get some training in because they're going to be prepared to handle that supposed power."

Ken nodded, figuring that if anyone could help him get a hold of his abilities, it would be a Psychic expert.

Blue snorted. "Everybody knows that Saffron's been blocked off from all sides for days now. They have guards stationed at every possible entrance, and nobody's allowed in!"

"Talk about observant! You're the son of a Pokémon Professor, all right!" Lt. Surge laughed, and Blue scowled. "Yeah, it's true that they're under strict orders not to let anyone in, but I've heard from a very reliable source that they have one big weakness that you should be able to exploit!"

Ken, Blue, and the others stared at Lt. Surge eagerly, wondering what the man had up his sleeve. Reaching into his bag, the man pulled out a six-pack of lemonade, leaving the Trainers to stare in confusion. All except for Leaf.

"Of course, it's so simple!" the girl cried, slapping her forehead as if she couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of it herself.

"It is?" the boys asked, completely confused.

Lt. Surge laughed. _Man this girl is sharp! _"You see, it gets real hot standing guard in those gates all day," the man explained, Leaf nodding at his every word and looking very proud of herself. "By around noon, those guys are bone-dry thirsty, and will do just about anything to get something to quench their thirst."

"So you're saying that all we have to do is give them a drink of lemonade?" Blue asked, clearly skeptical.

"Well _duh_!" Leaf laughed, not really understanding why everybody else wasn't getting it. "Give a man who has just crossed the sands of a raging desert just _one sip_ of water and he will be eternally in your debt, allowing you to take over the world with the power of dehydrated desert guys!" Everyone stared. "Or, just get to Saffron City," Leaf continued with a shrug, realizing that she might have gotten a little carried away.

"Ok, ignoring what Leaf just said, I think I get what you're saying," Blue sighed, shoving the can of lemonade into his backpack. "But first things first: I came here to challenge you for my third badge, and I still intend to do it!"

"Yeah, would you be willing to have a battle with me?" Red asked, only to receive a glare from Blue.

"Hey back off! I challenged him first! Besides, you're not ready for a challenge like that!"

"Oh yeah?" Red demanded, as he stared his rival straight in the eye.

"How many Pokémon you caught?" Blue asked, in the tone of someone who already knows the answer.

"Two," Red replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Ha! I already caught over twenty kinds!" Blue laughed, taking the time to notice his rival's astonished expression. "I already sent most of them back to Gramps. It's best to raise a few at a time so you can focus on making them stronger! I have four on me right now."

Red's face fell. Not only had Blue caught twenty Pokémon, but he was already raising double the amount that he himself currently had. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that more didn't always mean better.

"Well, its quality over quantity for me!" Red replied, and Blue's smirk instantly vanished.

"Are you saying that your Pokémon are better than mine?" Blue demanded, reaching for one of the Pokeballs attached to his belt.

"They beat you last time we battled didn't they?" Red taunted, Pika sparking beside him.

"Only because all I had at the time was a Squirtle and a Pidgey and you decided to use that rat!"

"Who are you calling a rat, porcupine head?" Pika demanded, sparking angrily.

"Guys, enough!" Leaf shouted, stepping between the two feuding eleven year olds. "It's ok for everybody to catch Pokémon at their own pace!" She turned to them, an embarrassed smile on her face. "Right now, all I have is Hotwings."

"You've never caught a Pokémon before, Leaf?" Blue asked, forgetting entirely about his fight with Red.

The girl bit her lip and shook her head. "Not really…"

The two boys exchanged glances before Blue sighed and walked over to Leaf, placing a Pokeball in her hands. The girl stared at him, her expression unreadable.

"Look, you can't just go around with only one Pokémon when Team Rocket is running about!" Blue explained, averting his gaze. "So go ahead and take it! I just caught it not too long ago, and it's not that strong anyway!" he growled, shoving the Pokeball into Leaf's arms. "Truthfully, you'd be doing me a favor by taking it off my hands!"

Leaf stared at the Pokeball in silence for a moment before a huge grin broke out on her face. "I can't believe it! A Pokémon given to me by one of my two best friends! Thank you so much Blue! I promise to take really good care of it!" she squealed, hugging the boy and causing him to blush.

"Uh…you don't even know what it is," Blue pointed out, more than a little surprised at the fact that Leaf was hugging him.

"I don't care! I love it!" she laughed, hugging the Pokeball as if the rarest Pokémon in the world was nestled inside. "Go!"

The Pokeball erupted with an enormous flash of light, the light dissipating to reveal a small purple and white rodent.

"A Rattata?" Red asked, surprised that Blue would catch a Pokémon like that. Blue simply shrugged.

Leaf, on the other hand, seemed to think it was the greatest Pokémon in the world. "Oh, thank you Blue! I love him!" she gushed, hugging the confused looking rodent. Looking at the creature thoughtfully for a moment, she said, "Your name is Blue!"

"_What?_" Blue demanded, blushing even more heavily, and Red had to put a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. "You can't name it that! That's my name!"

"His name is Blue!" Leaf snapped in a tone that left no room for discussion. She smiled and held the Pokémon up triumphantly. "After the sweet boy who gave him to me!"

If it was possible, Blue managed to turn an even darker shade of crimson, and Red burst out laughing, enjoying his rival's discomfort.

"Whatever," Blue finally managed to say, turning away from the overenthusiastic girl. "At least now you'll be safe if the aliens show up!"

Leaf's expression immediately turned to one of anger. "Aliens _do _exist!" the girl protested, waving her arms and nearly dropping her new Rattata.

"You mean like Red's mom?" Blue snickered, causing the girl's cheeks to flush with anger.

"That's it! Take that non-believer! Hits with stick! Hits with stick!" Leaf shouted, chasing Blue around while swinging an imaginary stick.

Red laughed as he watched this scene, a smile on his face. It was times like this that made him wonder why he and Blue couldn't simply get along like they used to. Still, with Leaf around, it was just like old times when the three of them were little kids and he loved every minute of it. Before he knew it, he had joined his childhood friends and the three began chasing each other around, for absolutely no reason at all.

Ken smiled as he watched this, wishing that he could have made some friends of his own when he was a kid.

Eventually, Leaf found a real stick and smacked Blue over the head with it, causing Red to laugh, Blue to trip Red, and Leaf to collapse onto the grass from sheer exhaustion.

"So, beating the Pokémon League, huh?" Leaf asked, smiling at her two friends as they joined her in staring up at the clouds. "That's a pretty big goal, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but together with Pika and Matches, I know I can do it!" Red laughed, already imagining all the great things that his journey was going to bring.

Blue snorted. "Sorry Red, but you can't beat the Pokémon League because _I'm _beating the Pokémon League!"

"Oh yeah?" Red asked, shooting a challenging look at his rival.

"Yeah!" Blue replied, returning the look with an equal amount of determination.

Leaf sighed as her two best friends began to argue over who was the better Trainer, knowing that, in their own way, this was how the two of them showed each other that they were still friends.

Wishing Red and the others goodbye, Ken, Chris, and Marik continued on their way north to Saffron City, hoping that Sabrina might be able to help them out.

_Maybe she'll even know why I'm turning into a Pokémon! _Ken thought to himself optimistically.

_Why? Being a Mew is fun! _Mew Ken giggled, causing Ken to sigh.

_Or at the very least, help me get him out of my head._

* * *

Back in Vermillion City, Lt. Surge watched the trio go, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Good luck kid."

* * *

Author's notes: Hey everybody! Sorry for the long gap between updates! ^_^; Anyway, I'd like to take this time to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story, It really means a lot to me. This is an important chapter for New Species, as it marks what can be concidered, "the end of the beginning." Yeah, it took a while, I know, but hopfully all of you are enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. :)

Well, until next time, thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! :)


	41. Chapter 40: Welcome to the Show

Chapter 40: Welcome to the Show

"You know," Ken said to Chris, as the he worked to prepare dinner for everyone, "it's been about a month since I started my journey, and about two weeks since we first met."

"Huh. Feels like one," Chris replied, and the two laughed.

Marik sat by a nearby river, not paying attention as his fishing lure bobbed up in down on the water's surface. The sun was just beginning to go down and he stared thoughtfully out at the colorful sunset.

_Ken and Chris already have such a nice friendship, _he thought to himself with a sigh. _And me? I'm a third wheel. I mean, just look at this morning! Ken and Chris tangled with Team Rocket, and what did I do? Spend the entire time talking to a girl! A really hot girl… _he thought to himself, a sly grin coming to his face.

A tug on his line shook him out of his thoughts, and he pulled on the fishing rod to reveal…

"Sapphire! How many times have I told you not to swim in the water when I'm fishing?" Marik shouted from his spot by the riverside, causing Ken and Chris to laugh.

* * *

"So, about how far is it to Saffron?" Ken asked, as the group sat down to eat dinner.

"Hmmm…about three days, I think," Chris replied between bites of food. "I'd have to check the map."

"Chris, you can't read a map to save your life!" Ken groaned, and Marik tried and failed to stifle a laugh.

Chris was about to protest, then sighed and nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."

The rest of the meal went by pretty quietly, until Marik decided to ask the question that had been on his mind for a while now. "So Ken?"

"Yeah?"

"You're turning into a Pokémon, right?"

"Yeah," Ken acknowledged, not sure if he was going to like where this was going.

"Well, why is that?" Marik asked, as if it were something that anyone would know.

"I don't know!" Ken spat, tail flicking in irritation. "If I knew, don't you think I'd be trying to stop it?"

"I don't know," Marik shrugged, a smile forming on his face. "Maybe you like being a Pokémon."

"I AM NOT A POKEMON!" Ken screamed, nearly spilling his bowl of Ramen Noodles.

"Well, excuse me!" Marik replied, antenna beginning to wave about in irritation. "How am I supposed to know that you don't wanna be a Pokémon? You certainly look enough like one!"

Ken opened his mouth to give Marik a piece of his mind, but couldn't find the words to say. With an angry growl, he turned away from Marik and stomped off to set up his sleeping bag.

"Was it something I said?" Marik asked, looking confused.

"Ken's kinda sensitive about what's happening to him," Chris explained, glancing over to where the Mew hybrid was rolling out his sleeping bag. "I don't get it. Why is it that he's changing but neither of us are?" Chris wondered, then glanced at Marik. "You haven't been changing, have you?"

"Nope, been this way for as far back as I can remember," Marik replied with a shrug. He glanced over at the Mew hybrid, who had already curled up in the sleeping bag for the night, his Pokémon sleeping nearby. "I didn't mean to upset him."

"I know," Chris sighed, regarding the Manaphy hybrid sympathetically. "It's not that hard to get on Ken's nerves. He'll forgive you by morning, trust me."

Marik smiled and nodded gratefully before going back to eating his noodles.

* * *

_Stupid Marik, _Ken thought to himself, as he lay in his sleeping bag, trying to pretend that he was asleep. What the Manaphy hybrid had said struck a very poor note with him, and he probably would have gone on fuming like that for another hour were it not for how tired he felt. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

"Hi Ken!" Mew Ken giggled happily as his double showed up. "Do you wanna play?"

"No," Ken replied, shuddering as he remembered how he had been made into Mew Ken's puppet the last time he agreed to play with him.

"Aww, come on! Please?" Mew Ken whined, gazing at Ken with his huge blue eyes that seemed to be too big for his face.

_Are his eyes bigger too? _Ken wondered, reaching up a hand and scratching his head as it began to itch. He frowned as he noticed that the fur on Mew Ken's hands had spread up to his elbows as well. _Well, that makes sense, _Ken realized with a shrug. _He is me after all._

"Yep! Sure am!" Mew Ken giggled, doing several playful backflips that only served to annoy his human half. "So, will you play with me now? Pleeeeaaaase?"

"For the last time, the answer is no!" Ken snapped, finding that scratching your head without fingernails didn't work too well. "Agh! How does Mew scratch itself anyway?"

"You don't know?" Mew Ken asked, bursting into a fit of giggles.

"No, how am I supposed to know about Mew's scratching habits?" Ken growled, tail flicking in irritation.

"Not that, silly!" Mew Ken giggled, looking as if he was about to fall over from laughing so hard. "I mean, didn't you notice that you're changing again?"

"WHAT?" Ken demanded, beginning to panic. He frantically patted down his head to try and figure out what was happening to him, but his furry hands made that task difficult. It had something to do with his hair, that much he was pretty sure of.

"Don't be angry Ken!" Mew Ken giggled, offering his human half a huge smile that showed off his tiny fangs. "It's good that you're turning into a Mew! Being a Mew is tons more fun than being a human!"

"Maybe for you, but I DON'T WANNA BE A POKEMON!" Ken growled, tugging at his hair in frustration. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but his hair seemed…_softer_ than it normally did. "What's happening to me?"

Mew Ken floated over to Ken, a concerned frown on his face. "Ken, I may not know _why_ this is happening, but maybe if you'd start looking at it as a gift instead of a curse, you'd finally be able to loosen up and have some fun!"

Ken stared at his Pokémon half, knowing that he was doing his best to cheer him up, and sighed. "The thing that scares me most is the fact that I might keep changing until I become a full Pokémon. What would I do then?"

Mew Ken tilted his head to the side, confused. "What do you mean, Ken? You can do more as a Pokémon than you ever could as a human! Watch!" And with that, he created a pink bubble of psychic energy and began bouncing on it.

Ken sighed and shook his head, a slight smile coming to his face. Obviously, there was no way to make his Pokémon half understand what it was he was feeling, but the fact that he was trying meant a lot.

Suddenly Ken felt someone shake him, and opened his eyes to find Marik staring at him, a concerned look on his face.

"What do you want?" Ken growled. His voice sounded a little funny to him, but he chalked it up to having been awakened so abruptly.

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier," Marik explained, not really looking at Ken as he spoke. "Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot," he continued when Ken didn't say anything, slowly turning to face the Mew hybrid. "But I just wanted to say—HOLY CRAP WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR EYES?"

Ken resisted the urge to smack Marik at that point, knowing that the sight of his eyes glowing in the dark had even freaked him out the first time. "Mew's eyes do that," he explained, as patiently as he could. "Weren't you apologizing?"

"Right!" Marik laughed, smacking his forehead. He sighed, becoming serious once more. "I just wanted to say that I didn't mean anything by what I said earlier. You looking like a Pokémon, I mean. Which, you kinda do, but I get the feeling that I struck a nerve."

"You think?" Ken asked, causing the Manaphy hybrid to hang his head apologetically. Ken sighed. Marik was at least _trying _to fix the tension between them. "Look, just forget about it, all right? I've heard worse."

"Oh, thank you!" Marik cried, eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Hug me, and I'll Iron Tail you into a tree," Ken warned, and the Manaphy hybrid let his arms drop to his sides, looking somewhat sulky. Ken shook his head. "You're really weird, you know that? And why couldn't this have waited till morning?"

"First, yes. Yes I am. Second, I was debating on whether to wake you up or wait till morning, but it looked like you were having a bad dream or something, so—"

"What?" Ken asked, as the events of his dream began flooding back to him.

"Yeah, you were tossing and—hey, what's wrong Ken?"

Ken ignored Marik and continued digging through his backpack for the mirror that Chris had given him, tossing aside items with careless abandon. Finally locating the item, he stared hard at his reflection, noticing that his hair now appeared to be a slightly lighter shade of pink. He ran a hand over his hair thoughtfully for a moment, sighing when he realized that he really couldn't tell much with his hands covered in fur.

"Marik, I think there's something wrong with my hair," he said at last, turning to face the Manaphy hybrid with a frown. "Does it look different to you?"

"Hmm…can't really tell in the dark," Marik replied with a shrug. "Can it wait till morning?"

"What? No, it can't wait till morning!" Ken growled, eyes widening in disbelief. "I'm turning into a Pokémon, and you want me to wait till morning to find out what's wrong with me? What kind of question is…" Ken trailed off, stunned, as the Manaphy hybrid took hold of a strand of Ken's hair and began squinting at it. "GET OFF OF ME!" Ken spat, shoving the teen off of him.

"Hey, you're the one who said it couldn't wait till morning!" Marik pointed out with a laugh, a big grin on his face. "By the way, have you been using conditioner? Your hair is really soft, like Mew fur!"

"You wonder why you and I don't get along?" Ken asked, glaring daggers at Marik. "This is why!" He was about ready to chew Marik out for invading his personal space, when what Marik said finally registered. "Mew fur?"

"Yep, just like Mew fur," Marik replied with a nod. "Seriously, what have you been using, and can I have some? _Please?_"

"First of all you are _way_ too concerned with your appearance," Ken sighed, mentally facepalming. "Second, I haven't been doing anything different to my hair!" Taking a strand of his hair he held it to his face, immediately surprised by how soft it was. _It really is like Mew fur, _Ken thought to himself in amazement, then sighed as what that meant really sank in. "Lovely," Ken sighed, his ears drooping.

"What's the matter Ken?" Marik asked, not really catching on. "Everything ok?"

"I don't have hair anymore," Ken grumbled, shoving the mirror back into his bag with a heavy sigh. "Just really long and thick Mew fur!"

"Oh," Marik said, not sure what to say to this. He was silent for several moments before muttering, "So, there is no secret shampoo?"

"No Marik, there is no secret shampoo!" Ken spat, wishing that the Manaphy hybrid could think about something besides his own appearance for five seconds. "Does the fact that I now have _fur_ for hair mean _anything_ to you?"

Marik was silent for a moment, a thoughtful frown on his face. "Does that mean that you're going to have to change what shampoo you use? I hear human shampoo isn't good for Pokémon."

Ken turned to his traveling companion, his lips pulling back as he let out a very angry sounding his. "Good_night_ Marik!"

"G-goodnight Ken! Sleep tight!" the Manaphy hybrid chuckled nervously, quickly making his way back to his sleeping bag.

With a sigh, Ken flopped back onto his sleeping bag and crawled inside, burying his head in the soft fabric. _Why me? _

* * *

Ken awoke reluctantly the next morning, the smell of Chris cooking instant oatmeal over the fire wafting through the campsite.

_Maybe this morning will be better, _Ken thought to himself, taking his position next to Marik. The sun flickered in and out through the trees, and he had to admit, it _was _a nice day to be outside.

"Ok Ken," Chris said, handing his friend a bowl of oatmeal. "Here's your…did you do something with your hair? It looks different this morning."

Ken sighed, staring at his bangs as they fell in front of his eyes. His hair really did look noticeably lighter in color. "No, just another stupid transformation," he sighed, taking the bowl from Chris and stirring his spoon around in it.

"He says his hair turned into Mew fur," Marik explained, oblivious to the death glare the Mew hybrid was now shooting him. "Look at it this way Ken, it could be worse!" Marik laughed, taking a huge bite of oatmeal, eyes widening in delight. "You cud half embed uff wiff furw awn you'we eniwre boby!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full Marik," Ken sighed, shaking his head. "And don't say that, you'll jinx me!"

Marik swallowed his mouthful of oatmeal before saying, "I thought you were turning into a Mew, not a Jynx," and bursting out laughing.

Ken let out a growl, his tail glowing with a metallic sheen. Chris let out a groan as the Mew hybrid's tail smashed into the pot of oatmeal, spilling the contents all over the ground. Kyo let out a delighted squeal and began devouring the spilled food, a huge smile on his face.

"Well, at least it's not going to waste," Chris sighed, as Marik rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "You ok Ken?"

Ken took his tail in his hand, running his fingers through the short fur and wincing when he came to a sore spot where the pan had burned him. "I will be after I eat a Lum Berry," he sighed, reaching into his bag and pulling out a piece of the fruit. He frowned, noticing that his supply was getting a little low. "All right, who's been eating these?"

His two friends shrugged, although Marik was rubbing his cheek where what appeared to be a burn mark had suddenly appeared.

_Sorry Ken! _Mew Ken giggled, sounding very guilty. _But they're so yummy! _

"Leave my body alone!" Ken shouted, causing his friends to stare at him.

"Ken, are you alright this morning?" Chris asked, looking concerned. Even Marik was regarding him sympathetically.

"I'm _fine_," Ken growled, popping the berry into his mouth and sighing in relief as the pain in his tail faded away.

"Um…Ken? Can I have one of those? I think your Synchronize ability burned me," Marik explained cautiously, trying not to get on Ken's bad side.

Ken's head whipped around, his lips pulling back as he let out an unmistakable hiss.

"A-all right then," Marik stammered, shocked at seeing such a feline expression from Ken. Technically, it _was _his fault that Ken had gotten burned in the first place, but then again, he didn't have to try and Iron Tail him, right?

Chris watched the scene with concern, but kept his mouth shut. It would be better to talk to Ken later after he had had time to cool off.

* * *

After breakfast, the group packed up their things and continued on their way towards Saffron City, a thick tension still hanging heavily in the air.

Chris knew that Ken was having difficulty dealing with his changes, but he wasn't sure what to do about it. It seemed as if Ken was becoming more Pokémon-like by the day, and honestly, it was beginning to worry him.

"You ok Ken?" Sora asked from atop her friends shoulder, her expression one of concern.

"I don't know Sora," Ken sighed, reaching up and patting the Bulbasaur on the head. "I mean, I just keep changing and it doesn't seem to wanna stop. What's next? Are my fingers going to fuse together and my hands turn into paws? When is this gonna end?"

"I don't know Ken, maybe Sabrina will have an idea," Sora offered, and Ken nodded, hoping that the Saffron Gym Leader would be able to offer some insight into his problem.

* * *

Around noon the group stopped by the river for lunch, Chris taking the time to refill his canteen. He glanced over at Ken and sighed; the Mew hybrid was currently hunched over by the riverside, lapping up the water like some sort of cat.

Ken pulled his face out of the water, purring with satisfaction. Nothing tasted better after a long morning of walking than a nice drink of water. He stared into the waters depths, recalling his trip to the Cerulean Gym.

_Man, that was fun, _Ken thought to himself, taking another drink. _Well, except for the part where Zoey exploded. _His thoughts wandered to the pair of swimming trunks stuffed in his backpack and he shook his head, surprised that he was actually considering putting on the ugly swimwear. _Still, it's not like there will be many other opportunities like this, _he reasoned, tail twitching in excitement. _Maybe I could—No! What am I thinking?_

_Goin' for a swim? _Mew Ken asked, his image flashing across the surface of the water before Ken plunged his head down to take another drink.

_No, _Ken replied firmly, shaking his head as drops of water flew off his face. _There is no way that I am EVER going to wear those ugly swim trunks again!_

_I think they look nice! _Mew Ken giggled, his happiness radiating throughout Ken's head, causing the Mew hybrid to shiver. _Besides, who knows when we'll be near water again? Don't you like to swim Ken?_

_Yeah, I do, _Ken admitted, though he really didn't like telling his Pokémon half that. _That doesn't mean that I'm going to wear a pair of PINK swimming trunks in front of people! Besides, Marik would never let me hear the end of it!_

_What's wrong with pink? _Mew Ken asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. _Mews are pink, silly!_

Ken thought about this for a moment, aware that his Pokémon half had a point. Mews _were_ pink, after all…

_No! I don't CARE if Mew's are pink! I'm not a Pokémon and that's not even close to the same thing!_

_This is all about the swimming trunks? _Mew Ken asked, a look of seeming understanding coming across his face. _Ok! I can fix that!_

Before Ken even realized what was happening, his body was beginning to glow with a multicolored light. His limbs shrank and faded away, being replaced with fins, his skin turned into scales, and a pair of gills grew from the sides of his neck. He then toppled into the water, a common Magikarp.

_What? I didn't even try to Transform! _Ken cried out in panic, as Mew Ken giggled from inside his head.

_I know silly! I did!_ his Pokémon half explained, clearly proud of himself. _Isn't this great Ken? Now we can swim without worrying about those silly swimming trunks! _

Ken was about to scream at his Mew Ken for forcing him to Transform like that, when he noticed his surroundings for the first time. It was a whole different experience than the Cerulean Gym's pool; the water was teeming with life, and various fish and Water Pokémon were swimming around. He flicked his tail and swam through the water, heart racing with excitement. This was one of the most amazing experiences he'd even had. Brushing past a clump of seaweed, he spotted something floating near the surface; something small, square, and…pink.

_POKEBLOCK! _his mind screamed at him, and he swam upward, taking the treat in his mouth.

* * *

Marik let out a small cry of surprise as he felt something tug on his line, which quickly gave way to excitement. Finally, he had hooked his first Pokémon from Kanto! Giving the line a sharp yank, he let out a sigh of disappointment when he saw that what was dangling from the end of his line was nothing but a common Magikarp.

"Oh, just my luck!" Marik groaned, preparing to toss the fish back.

"WAIT!" Chris screamed, nearly causing Marik to drop his Super Rod. He ran up the Manaphy hybrid, a panicked look on his face. "That Magikarp is _Ken_!"

Marik stared dumbfounded at the Magikarp that flopped about pathetically at the end of his line. Surely if this _was _Ken, he would've been smart enough not to eat the bait off his fishing pole?

Sapphire must have known what he was thinking, because she picked that exact moment to Water Gun him in the face.

"Ok, ok, I'll let him go!" Marik cried, depositing his catch on dry land while simultaneously trying to get Sapphire to stop attacking him.

The Magikarp hit the ground and flopped around a bit before Transforming back into the familiar form of Ken.

"Ken, what were you thinking?" Chris sighed, helping the Mew hybrid to his feet.

Ken simply shrugged. "Don't ask me! It was Mew Ken's idea!"

"Mew Ken?" Chris asked, looking completely confused.

"My Pokémon half," Ken explained, looking rather embarrassed. "Look, I know you all think I'm nuts, but he _does _exist—at least for me—and he is making me do the _weirdest_—"

"Hey relax Ken, I believe you," Chris assured his friend, causing Ken to stare at him in shock.

"You do?"

"Yeah. Look, your denying your Pokémon half has caused it to take on an identity of its own, your "Mew Ken" if you will. You don't have any control of his actions, and the two of you exist as separate individuals. Separate, and yet the same. It's actually kind of funny that you're aware of your other personality, and vice versa. Usually, the two personalities don't interact at all, or in some cases, only one is aware of the others existence." Ken simply stared at Chris, not sure what to say. "I did a lot of reading as a kid, ok?"

"Ok, well if you're so smart, how am I supposed to deal with this?" Ken growled, unable to believe that his friend hadn't mentioned any of this earlier.

Chris rubbed the back of his head, looking nervous. "Well, usually the psychiatrist would attempt to fuse the two personalities back into one, meaning that, in your case, you would probably need to…err…accept the Pokémon part of you."

Ken simply stared at Chris, his expression unreadable.

"Ken?" Chris asked, a bit concerned.

"Ok, well that's out," Ken finally said, looking as though his mind had been made up. "What are my other options?"

"Uh…I don't know, that's usually what they do," Chris replied nervously, not sure what it was Ken wanted him to say. "I'm no expert Ken, I just read some books on psychology."

Ken sighed, realizing that this wasn't going to get him anywhere. "Thanks anyway Chris, I appreciate you trying to help."

"Hey, cheer up Ken!" Chris replied, as the group headed over to the campsite to get lunch going. "Maybe Sabrina will be able to help you out with this! She is a Psychic type gym leader, you know."

Ken nodded, trying his best to keep his spirits up. If anyone could help him, it would be Sabrina.

* * *

Back in Viridian City, Giovanni sat in his office, his Persian curled up comfortably on his lap.

"Giovanni sir!" a Rocket Grunt announced, bowing to his boss respectfully. "We've received a tip that the Mew Boy may be on his way to Saffron City as we speak!"

Giovanni stared thoughtfully at the newspaper clipping, which read, "Mew Boy Lives!" before smiling. "Perfect."

* * *

Having finished lunch, the group continued their trek, a little concerned by the dark clouds that were beginning to appear on the horizon.

"Looks like a storms brewing," Chris muttered, adjusting his fur coat.

Ken nodded. He didn't like the look of those clouds…

Seconds later, rain began to fall, lightly at first, but before long it was coming down in sheets.

"Great! Where are we supposed to go?" Ken sighed, trying his best to keep the water out of his ears. "I haven't seen any buildings in hours!"

"Me neither, but I'm sure we'll think of something!" Chris replied, as the trio broke into a run.

"This is _wonderful_!" Marik sighed, as he followed after his friends, a happy smile on his face. "I just _love _the rain! Look! The burn from this morning is even healing up!"

Ken glanced back at Marik, eyes widening in surprise as he saw that the burn mark inflicted by his Synchronize ability _was _in fact fading away. In moments, it was gone.

"A Manaphy's ability is Hydration," Chris explained, regarding the scene with interest. "It allows the user to rid itself of all status problems when it's raining."

"Comes in handy more often than you'd think!" Marik laughed, enjoying the feeling of the water hitting his skin. "Still, it's a pain in the neck when you're trying to sleep and it keeps waking you up!"

"Hydration can't differentiate between sleep caused by opponents and sleep caused by the user," Chris laughed, nodding sympathetically. "It'll cure the condition, whether you want it to or not!"

"Not all good, huh fish boy?" Ken laughed, causing the Manaphy hybrid to shoot him an irritated glare.

"I am not a fish boy!" Marik shouted, antenna popping up for a brief moment before he smoothed them down again. "I just happen to be better adapted to the water than you are!"

Ken snorted. "Please, you probably have gills!"

"How'd you know about that?" Marik asked, looking rather embarrassed.

Ken blinked in surprise. "You mean you really_ do _have gills?"

"So? You have a tail!" Marik retorted, looking more than a little irritated.

"You _seriously _have gills?" Ken asked, still not really sure if he had heard the Manaphy hybrid correctly.

"_Yes_," Marik groaned, walking up beside Ken and pulling down his shirt collar. "See?"

Ken gaped in surprise, for there on Marik's neck there were little slit marks on either side—gills, obviously. "Huh?" he asked, not really sure what to say.

"Reason number two," Marik replied, messing with his soaking wet hair and walking past Ken with an irritated frown.

"Reason number two?" Ken echoed, not catching Marik's meaning.

"Reason number two on my list of reasons for why I wear my hair long," Marik explained with a sigh. "Number one: so people won't notice my antenna. Number two, so people won't notice that I have gills. Happy now?"

"Sorry," Ken replied, averting his gaze so as not to look like he was staring at Marik. "I honestly didn't know that you had gills, it was just a joke."

Marik's frown immediately turned into an amused smile. "It's fine, it's not like I'm trying to keep secrets from you or anything," he replied with a shrug. "It's just not something I really tell people about, that's all."

Ken nodded, recalling how, even now, it was hard for him to talk about the changes he was going through. "So…can you breathe underwater?" he asked after a minute, curious.

Marik grinned. "Sure can! It's one of the advantages of being a Water type. Most Water types have gills, you know."

"You've done it before?" Ken asked, feeling his curiosity grow.

"Ken, I was born in Slateport!" Marik laughed. "There's an enormous beach just south of town, of course I have!" Marik paused for a moment, letting the rain run down his face as he stared up at the cloud filled sky. "I spent nearly every day at the beach; swimming, fishing, surfing, I did it all, really."

"_You've _been surfing?" Ken asked, regarding his friend with disbelief.

"Ken, I'm part Manaphy," Marik replied with a laugh. "Water's a part of who I am. Besides, when you grow up with a beach within walking distance of your front yard, you tend to pick up a few things."

Chris smiled, glad that his two friends were actually getting along for once. Turning his attention back to the road ahead of him, relief washed over him as he spotted what appeared to be some sort of abandoned building. "Guys, I think I found something!"

Ken and Marik dropped their conversation and looked where Chris was pointing, a large mansion-like building looming just ahead of them.

"Finally!" Ken sighed in relief as he quickened his pace. "I'm getting soaked out here!"

"I think it feels nice!" Marik replied with a smile, hurrying to catch up with his friends, who were eager to get out of the rain.

"Of course you do, you're a Water type!" Ken growled, his tail flicking in irritation. _Man, this stinks! My fur is soaked! Wait, what did I just say? _Ken wondered, not really liking that that was the first thing that came to mind when he considered how drenched he was. Shrugging it off, he and the others hurried towards the building, checking the door and praying that it would open.

The door opened with a loud creak, and the group walked inside, attempting to get themselves dry. Chris sighed as Ken began to shake himself dry like a cat, then sent out Jerry in an attempt to dry out his clothes.

_Stupid rain, _Ken thought with a growl, as he finished shaking himself dry, staring in displeasure at his messed up fur. With a sigh, he began to run his tongue over one of his arms in an attempt to get the fur back in place, not noticing that Sora was now staring at him.

"Um…Ken?" she asked, sounding rather confused. "Why are you licking yourself?"

Ken immediately stopped what he was doing, eyes widening in shock. He quickly glanced around to see if his friends had seen him, sighing in relief when he noticed that they were still trying to get their clothes dry.

"I…don't know," Ken replied at last, not sure how to explain the strange feeling that had come over him. He hadn't liked his fur looking mussed up, and grooming it back into place just seemed…natural at that moment.

Shuddering, he walked over to his friends, who were now using Jerry's flames to dry their clothes, and followed suit. After everybody was _reasonably _dry—Jerry didn't have complete control over his flames since evolving—the group proceeded to look around, not sure where exactly they were at.

"It almost looks like a theater," Chris mused, glancing at the lights and other similar equipment. "I'll bet there's even a stage around here somewhere!"

Ken shuddered, not sure if he liked this place. He couldn't shake the feeling that Mew Ken was going to show up, attach strings to his body, and force him to perform against his will.

"Ken!"

Ken quickly turned in Sora's direction to see her standing face to face with another Bulbasaur, a confused and somewhat frightened look on her face.

"What's the matter?" he asked, walking over to his friend, recoiling as he spotted what the other Bulbasaur's face looked like. "CHRIS! Something's wrong with this Bulbasaur!"

Chris walked over, feeling rather confused, then saw what his friend meant: the Bulbasaur's face didn't look right, with only a simplistic smiley face where a normal Bulbasaur's face should have been.

A chuckle rang through the air, and the group turned and stared in shock as what appeared to be an exact duplicate of Ken stood watching them, a smile on his face.

"Wh-who are Mew?" Ken stammered, scared to death that Mew Ken might have actually come to play with him after all.

"Why don't you tell Mew who you are?" the other boy asked, his voice and speech pattern sounding identical to Ken's.

"I'm Ken," the Mew hybrid replied, tail twitching anxiously.

"Duplica," the other boy explained, then grinned, his voice suddenly changing. "From the House of Imite."

"You're a girl?" Ken asked, staring at his double in shock.

Duplica nodded, then removed her wig, her blue-green hair standing in ponytails on either side of her head. As Ken looked closer, he realized that Duplica's tail was attached to her jeans and held upright via an almost invisible string attached to her shirt. He would have complimented her on doing such a good imitation of him, if he weren't a bit weirded out by the whole thing.

"Still working on it, huh?" she asked the strange Bulbasaur next to her.

The Bulbasaur glowed with a bright light before shifting into the form of a small pink blob-like creature. "Yeah."

"A Ditto!" Chris exclaimed, thoroughly impressed. "Those are pretty rare, and they're one of only two Pokémon able to use the move Transform, the other being Mew."

Duplica nodded. "Wow, you sure know your stuff! Have you ever raised a Ditto before, by any chance?" Chris shook his head, causing the girls expression to fall. Glancing at Ken, her expression instantly brightened. "Oh! But maybe you could help me!"

"Help Mew with what?" Ken asked, rather confused.

* * *

The group waited patiently as Duplica changed back into her regular outfit, a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt, though Ken still wasn't sure about the whole thing.

"So, why do Mew have a costume of me?" Ken asked, as Duplica stored the pink Mew eared wig in a huge room full of costumes.

"Well, I pride myself on being able to imitate just about anybody!" Duplica explained with a laugh.

"Do Misty! Do Misty!" Marik shouted, causing everybody to stare at him.

Shrugging, Duplica stepped behind a row of costumes, immerging seconds later looking just like the Cerulean City Gym Leader. "How bout that?"

"Wow!" Marik gushed, looking rather love struck.

Ken sighed and shook his head. Though Duplica's imitation was practically perfect, even going so far as to _sound _like Misty, he still wasn't sure what the point of all of this was.

Duplica disappeared behind another stack of clothing, this time reappearing as Nurse Joy. "Don't worry, I've restored your Pokémon to perfect health!"

"Awesome!" Marik cheered, growing increasingly excited.

Duplica then showed them her imitation of Officer Jenny, Erika, and Sabrina, which reminded Ken of why he was here in the first place.

"My friends and I were on our way Mew Saffron when it started raining. Do you think Mew could maybe stay here until Mew rain stops?" he asked, as Marik continued to stare at the girl like a lovesick puppy.

"Sure!" Duplica replied, stepping out from behind the costumes, back in her normal outfit. "Honestly, I was hoping you would."

"Right, you said you needed our help, right?" Chris asked, and Duplica nodded.

"More specifically, his help."

"Mew?" Ken asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

Duplica nodded. "Let me explain. First of all, this is the House of Imite."

"Imite, like in imitate?" Chris asked thoughtfully.

"That's right! Mostly, I do impressions of people and Pokémon to entertain travelers! It's a lot of fun! I used to do my performances with Ditto, but…"

"What happened?" Chris asked, noticing the girl's depressed frown.

"Well, watch. Ditto, could you Transform into a Pikachu like we rehearsed?"

Ditto nodded, and began to glow with a bright light. Seconds later, the light faded and a Pikachu stood in its place, only…

"His face didn't change," Chris remarked, looking confused.

Duplica nodded. "Now try a Bulbasaur."

The Ditto glowed once more, this time turning into a duplicate of Sora.

"He still has that face," Chris said, not sure what to make of the whole thing.

Duplica nodded and sighed. "I know, I don't understand it either. Ditto has been working so hard to learn how to Transform perfectly, but his face always stays the same…"

"Sorry Duplica," Ditto muttered, sinking lower to the ground like a pink puddle.

"When people see Ditto, they expect him to be able to Transform perfectly. Our last performance…didn't end well," she admitted, scuffing her shoe on the floor. "Several people even demanded a refund…that's never happened before…" She sighed and glanced at Ditto, picking up the small Pokémon and giving it a hug. "I love Ditto, even if he can't Transform completely," Duplica explained, a sad smile on her face. "But if Ditto could learn how to Transform properly, we could start performing again."

"So, what do Mew want my help with?" Ken asked, not sure what he had to do with all of this.

"Well, you can Transform right?" Duplica asked hopefully, an almost desperate look in her eyes.

"Yeah, but—"

"That's great!" Duplica shouted, nearly dropping her Ditto in the midst of her excitement. "Please, could you show Ditto how it's done? Please, it would really mean a lot to us!"

Ken blinked at the girl was now staring at him with pleading eyes, her hands clasped in front of her. He knew quite well that he was no Transformation expert.

_But you know how to get the face right, don't you Ken? _Mew Ken asked, sounding as if he too might resort to begging at any moment. _That's all this poor Ditto needs! Let's help them, PLEASE?_

Ken was about to protest, but between Duplica and Ditto's hopeful stares and Mew Ken's urging, he just didn't have the heart to say no.

"Ok, I'll help!" Ken sighed, blushing as Duplica gave a cheer and wrapped him in a huge hug, causing Marik to scowl at him.

Besides, he'd figured out how to Transform properly, more or less. What could go wrong?

* * *

"Sorry, that's not right," Ken sighed, as Ditto tried and failed to Transform into Sora for the fifth time.

"I'm sorry Mister Mew," Ditto whimpered, flattening his body against the floor like a pancake.

"It's Ken," the Mew hybrid groaned, as the Ditto stared up at him with what appeared to be a great deal of respect. "Just Ken, no 'Mister' and definitely no Mew."

Ditto looked confused, but nodded. "Yes, Ken sir!"

"It's not 'sir' either," Ken sighed, not sure why the small pink Pokémon felt the need to be so formal. "All right, how about you try a Pikachu? You've been practicing that one with Duplica, right?"

Ditto nodded, and quickly began the Transformation, his body assuming its new shape. "How's this? Did I get it right this time?" Ditto asked, looking at Ken hopefully, his simplistic mouth stretched into a big smile.

Ken shook his head. "Sorry, but no."

"Aww…I'll never get it right!" Ditto whimpered, resuming his true form and practically melting into the floor below him.

"Hey, relax! You'll get it!" Ken assured the tiny Pokémon, reaching down and picking him up in his arms. Seconds later, he felt an odd tingle as his limbs vanished, and his body took on a simple blob-like shape. "Crap! I thought I'd gotten past that problem!" the newly Transformed Ken groaned, as Ditto stared at him in surprise.

"Um…did you mean to do that?" Ditto asked, rather confused.

"No, no I didn't," Ken sighed, trying to figure out how exactly a Ditto moved without legs. He quickly realized that he could pretty much move his body however he wanted, just like play dough could be morphed into a variety of shapes. _If Ditto are this flexible, then what's the problem? _Ken wondered, stretching his body upward till he had more than doubled in height. Deciding to try Transforming straight into a Pikachu, Ken pictured the long ears and tail growing from his shapeless body, the yellow fur, the arms and legs, the face…Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he hurried to finish the Transformation.

"See? You do it right," Ditto sighed, as Ken finished his Transformation.

"Ditto, how exactly do you go about Transforming?"

"Well, I picture what the Pokémon looks like in my head, though it helps if I have a model to go by," Ditto explained, as Ken changed back to his normal form.

"That's the problem!" Ken exclaimed, causing the pink Pokémon to regard him with confusion. "See, that's a mistake _I _used to make, and it always ended up with an incomplete Transformation! Once I even ended up as a human shaped Pikachu!" Ken explained with a grimace, though he was well aware of Sora giggling in the background. "You have to visualize what you want your body to do! If you don't, and rely on your body to do it by itself, you'll get details wrong," Ken explained, vaguely aware that he was quoting Mew Ken.

"I never thought about that before," Ditto admitted, staring at Ken with even more respect, if that were possible. Closing his eyes, his body began to glow with a bright light, shifting into a small yellow Pokémon with long ears, red cheeks, and a tail shaped like a lightning bolt. "Well, how do I look?" the Pikachu asked, his large brown eyes full of concern.

"Perfect!" Ken exclaimed, tail twitching excitedly.

"_Really?_" Ditto asked, his eyes lighting up with joy.

"A perfect Transformation," Ken agreed with a nod, a smile on his face.

"This is so great!" Ditto laughed, Transforming back to his regular form. "I'm gonna go show Duplica!" And with that he left to find his Trainer, Ken watching with a huge smile on his face.

* * *

Outside the House of Imite, Jessie, James, and Meowth watched the scene with interest, evil grins plastered on their faces.

"If we could catch that Ditto, we could get it to Transform into a Dratini!" Jessie exclaimed, imagining the reward Giovanni would give them for bringing in such a rare Pokémon.

"We'll finally get off the loser list!" James agreed, rubbing his hands together eagerly at the thought of a promotion.

"You're thinkin' small," Meowth said, jumping between his two teammates, who regarded him with confusion. "Ditto can change into any Pokémon, right?"

"Right," Jessie and James agreed, not sure where the cat was going with this.

"Well, imagine da look on da bosses face when _we _bring him da Mew Boy!" Meowth exclaimed, his eyes gleaming.

"But…the Mew Boy's right there," James pointed out, a confused frown on his face. "Wouldn't it make more sense to catch him _and _Ditto?"

"And how long have Team Rocket members been trying to capture him, James?" Jessie snapped, causing the blue haired man to flinch. "Why go through all that trouble when we could just grab Ditto and receive the same reward?"

"Well, I suppose that makes sense," James admitted, looking back inside the building where the Mew Boy was chatting with his Bulbasaur. "But won't he try to stop us?"

"Leave that to me," Jessie replied with a laugh, gaze fixed on the Mew Boy, who remained unaware of their presence.

* * *

"Oh, thank you so much Ken!" Duplica cried, hugging her perfectly Transformed Ditto, who was currently in the form of a Pikachu. "Really, I don't know what I would've done without you!"

"Uh…y-you're welcome," Ken sputtered, his face turning redder than a fire engine.

Duplica was eagerly discussing her plans to reopen her theater, when a pair of voices rang out.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Look Chris, it's those nice street performers from Nugget Bridge!" Ken exclaimed, tail twitching with excitement. "Can you sing _I'm a Little Teapot_? That would be funny!"

"Ken," Chris sighed, not sure if he should point out how childish his friend was acting, "don't you think it's a little _weird_ that they're in here?"

Ken paused, a thoughtful frown on his face. "Well…to get out of the rain, same us, of course!" he replied with a shrug.

"Exactly!" Jessie laughed, thankful for an explanation for why they were there in the first place.

"But Jessie, didn't it stop raining a while a—err, I mean, yes!" James quickly agreed, as the women elbowed him in the ribs. "We were just passing through, and, being performers ourselves, thought we'd stop by the famous House of Imite!"

"Oh, thank you so much!" Duplica gushed, eyes full of excitement. "The studios not up and running right now, but we'd be happy to show you some of our best imitations, right Ditto?"

"Right!" Ditto agreed, Transforming back to his normal form.

"Here, I have an idea!" Jessie announced, a huge grin finding its way to her face. "Why don't you have Ditto Transform into Meowth, and then everyone will try and guess who's who?"

"That's a great idea!" Duplica agreed, Jessie and James silently cheering that their scheme was going as planned. "This will give everyone the chance to see just how convincing Ditto's Transformations can really be! Ok Ditto, Transform!"

"This is perfect!" Jessie whispered to her teammates as the pink Pokémon began his Transformation. "Once Ditto turns into Meowth, not even that girl will be able to tell them apart! Then we'll grab Ditto, and—"

"Hey, what about Meowth!" the cat demanded, looking rather betrayed.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine!" Jessie replied, waving her hand dismissively. "Just sneak out the back when you get the chance and we'll pick you up later. She'll think Ditto ran away or something, and we'll be in line for a promotion!"

The group began laughing, pausing as they realized that everyone was staring at them. Quickly regaining their composure, Meowth walked over to Ditto, and the two of them proceeded to mix themselves up.

"Now, who's who?" Duplica asked, motioning to the two identical looking Meowth in front of her.

"Well, that's easy!" Jessie laughed, getting ready to grab Ditto. "This one is…uh…" She paused, suddenly realizing that she had lost track of which one was the real Meowth. "Its…it's so easy, that I think I'll let James handle this one!" she chuckled, shoving the blue haired man towards the two Pokémon.

"Well, uh…Meowth is…" James began, immediately running into the same problem. "Um…As Jessie said, it's really quite simple!" the man laughed, feeling the sweat beginning to run down the back of his neck. "We both know which one is the real Meowth!"

Ken watched the two, seriously doubting that they had even the slightest idea which Pokémon was their Meowth. It surprised him as, although the Meowth looked alike, he could still tell the difference quite clearly.

_Is it because I'm part Pokémon? _Ken wondered, recalling how he had been able to tell that Sora was female on the first day of his journey. He also recalled how his friends usually seemed to recognize him when he Transformed, and concluded that it must be a Pokémon thing.

"Go on Jessie! Tell her which one is Meowth!" James laughed, looking rather nervous.

"No, I insist!" Jessie chuckled, giving her teammate a little nudge. "You tell her!"

"Let's do it together!" James suggested, and Jessie nodded in agreement.

"It's…that one!" they said, both pointing to a different Meowth. "I mean that one!" they said, swapping Meowth, so they were _still_ pointing at both of them. The two then laughed loudly.

"We're only joking!" Jessie said, as everyone stared at them in obvious amusement. Scooping up one of the Meowth, she turned towards the door. "Well, that was fun, but we really must be going, right James?"

"Uh, right! Have a nice day and good luck with Ditto!" James laughed, as the two dashed out of the building.

"Weird people," Duplica muttered, as she stared off in the direction they had gone. "Well, at least they have a strong bond with their Pokémon! Most people wouldn't have gotten it right on the first try!" she laughed, as the remaining Meowth jumped into her arms and Transformed back into Ditto.

* * *

Back in Vermillion City, Lt. Surge picked up the phone and began dialing a certain number. The phone rang once, twice, three times, before the person on the other end picked up.

"Yes?" the voice, a woman's asked, sounding somewhat cold and unfeeling.

"Sabrina? You all right? You don't sound like you're feeling well."

"I feel fine," Sabrina replied, her voice seeming to have a monotone quality to it. "Please, what is the reason you called?"

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that the Mew Boy is headed your way," Lt. Surge explained, Sabrina's tone of voice making him uneasy. "He needs help, Team Rocket is closing in on him, and he's—"

"Not nearly as strong as they think he is," Sabrina finished, causing the man to laugh.

"Nothing escapes you, huh?" the man chuckled, running a hand through his short blond hair. "Well, I was hoping that—"

"I could train him."

"Yeah," Lt. Surge admitted with a sigh. "Is there really any reason for me to be telling you this when you already know?" the man laughed, waiting for the sound of the woman's playful laughter on the other end. It never came.

"I'll be sure to teach him to the best of my abilities," Sabrina replied at last, her voice cold and serious.

Lt. Surge blinked in surprise. "You ok Sabrina? You don't sound quite like yourself. You know, you might want to give this whole Psychic business a rest, it's making you…weird," he finally said, not knowing how else to explain it.

"I assure you that everything is fine," Sabrina replied, a bitter edge to her voice that made the man's mouth drop open in shock. "Take care Surge. Goodbye."

"Wait, Sabrina, don't hang up!" Lt. Surge shouted, only to hear the phone click in his ear.

* * *

In Saffron City Sabrina hung up the phone, a sort of unworldly blue light seeming to dance around her body as she turned her head to glance out the window. "The Mew Boy is coming. Boss Giovanni shall be pleased."

Beside her, a little girl dressed in a white dress and hat shook her head sadly before fading out of sight.

* * *

Author's Notes: Wow, long chapter! A lot of anime references in this chapter, mostly filler, but hopefully you enjoyed it anyway. :) Next chapter should involve Ken getting to Saffron City and meeting Sabrina.

Thank you all for reading, and for your kind reviews! Well, until next time, see ya! :)


	42. Chapter 41: Teach Me How to Fight

Chapter 41: Teach Me How to Fight, and I'll Show You What I Can Be

After wishing Duplica and Ditto the best of luck with their future performances, Ken and the others continued towards Saffron City, stopping around seven to set up camp and get dinner started. Ken decided to use this time to work on mastering Iron Tail…and it wasn't going well.

"_How do you stop this thing?_" Ken demanded, as the furry appendage whipped around wildly behind him, totally out of control. Finally, his tail managed to whip upward, smacking him in the head. "YOW!" Ken screamed, feeling tears spring to his eyes.

"You ok, Ken?" Chris asked, turning his attention away from his food preparation to check on his friend.

"I just got Iron Tailed in the head Chris, does it _look _like I'm ok?" the Mew hybrid demanded, rubbing the sore spot on his head. He felt the tears that had formed in his eyes threatening to spill over onto his face, and wiped them away. There was _no way _that he was going to let his friends see him cry over something like that, especially Marik. "I'll be fine, ok? It just hurts!" Ken snapped, turning away from Chris's concerned look.

Marik flinched as he watched this scene, feeling both sorry for Ken and at the same time, thankful that it hadn't been him.

* * *

A short while later, the group ate dinner, and afterwards, decided to turn in early for the night. They'd want to get up early the next morning to cover as much ground as they could in order to get to Saffron as quickly as possible.

* * *

"Hi Ken!" Mew Ken giggled, as his human half appeared in their dreamscape. "Fun day today, huh?"

"Some of it," Ken admitted with a shrug, not really liking the part where he'd gotten rained on.

"I know, I didn't like that part either!" Mew Ken agreed, doing several playful back flips. "You know, if we learned Sunny Day, you'd never have to worry about that ever again!"

"I can't even control Iron Tail," Ken grumbled, rubbing the spot on his head, which, thankfully, was not hurting him anymore.

"You have to start with controlling your tail first, silly!" Mew Ken laughed, as his human half glared at him.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Ken groaned, trying to move his tail, only to have it start whipping around like crazy.

"You're trying too hard," Mew Ken explained, watching Ken's pitiful attempts with amusement. "It's a tail, not a truck! You don't have to put _that much effort_ into moving it!" Mew Ken giggled, as Ken felt himself blush. "Just relax and take it nice and easy!"

Recalling how Mew Ken's advice on Transforming had worked, Ken took a deep breath and tried to relax. His tail immediately slowed and began its usual gentle swaying side to side.

"Good!" Mew Ken praised, voice full of excitement. "Now, try and move it, but remember to _stay calm_. It might not move the way you want it to at first."

Ken sighed and tried to move his tail to the right a bit, only to have it wrap around his leg. Trying to get it to remove itself only caused the furry appendage to coil tighter. Finally growing frustrated, Ken grabbed his tail and tried to pry it off him, which caused it to coil itself around his neck.

"It tried to kill me!" Ken shouted when he finally managed to get the tail off of him, eyes wide with fear.

"It's not a monster silly, it's a tail!" Mew Ken replied, bursting into a fit of giggling laughter. "See what happens when you get angry? It's a _tail_, Ken! It reacts to your emotions!"

"Somehow I don't think I'd try to kill me!" Ken spat, glaring resentfully at the furry appendage, which gave a twitch as if mocking him.

"If it's moving like that, it means you're angry!" Mew Ken explained in a rather teasing sounding voice.

"Of course I'm angry!" Ken spat, fidgeting as his back began to itch. "The stupid thing never does what I want it to!"

"Aww, cheer up Ken!" Mew Ken giggled, summoning a pink bubble and lying on it as if it were a coach. "Once you become a Mew, moving your tail should be easy!"

"For the last time, I don't _want _to be a Mew!" Ken growled, trying in vain to scratch his back. It was driving him nuts, and felt like something was crawling its way across his skin. Ken's eyes widened in horror as he realized what was going on. "I'm changing again!"

Ripping off his shirt, Ken craned his neck in an attempt to see what was going on, then immediately wished he hadn't. Pink Mew fur was now growing between his shoulder blades, and was quickly making its way down his back.

"Yay!" Mew Ken squealed, eyes lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning. "This looks like it'll be the best transformation yet!"

Ken quickly realized that Mew Ken's idea of the best was his idea of the worst as the pink Mew fur continued to inch its way down his back with no sign of stopping. It was already halfway down his back and still spreading.

_This can't be happening! _Ken thought to himself as he watched the scene, eyes wide with fear. _I'm not a Pokémon! Any second now it'll stop…yeah, of course it will!_

"Why do you want it to stop Ken?" Mew Ken asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Mew are _supposed _to have fur, silly!"

"For the last time, I'M NOT A—" Ken broke off, feeling a strange sensation in his back. He shuddered, having never felt anything like it before. It was almost like his spine was rearranging itself under his skin. "_What's happening to me?_" Ken demanded, shooting a pleading glance at Mew Ken, who continued to regard him with confusion.

"You're turning into a Mew, silly! Isn't that obvious?"

"That's not what I meant!" Ken growled, ears flattening against his head. "What I mean is, what is happening to my ba—whoa!" Ken gasped, pausing mid-sentence as his back popped. The strange sensation of his spine shifting ceased, although Ken couldn't help feeling that something was different. Turning to look at his back, he saw that the fur had finally stopped spreading, ending right above his tail. As he continued to stare at the fur on his back, thankful that it hadn't grown any further, he finally noticed the odd angle that he was now in. His spine seemed more…flexible than it had been before.

"Cool! Was wondering when that would happen!" Mew Ken giggled, bouncing up and down on his bubble like it was a trampoline.

"When what would happen?" Ken asked, getting the sinking feeling that he wasn't going to like the answer.

"You don't know?" Mew Ken asked, pausing in his bouncing in order to stare at Ken in genuine confusion.

"If I knew, why would I be _asking_?" Ken spat, tail lashing angrily from side to side.

"Cat Pokémon's spines are different than humans Ken," Mew Ken explained, as he stretched out on the bubble and made himself comfortable. "They're much more flexible! That's why cats can fit into anything big enough for their head!"

As cool as it sounded to be able to fit into small spaces, Ken didn't really like the idea of his skeletal structure changing into something more feline.

_What's next? Is my skull going to rearrange itself? _Ken wondered, shuddering at the thought of what _that_ would feel like. His spine changing hadn't hurt, but it was probably the weirdest thing he'd ever felt in his life and he was in no hurry to repeat it.

"Aww, come on Ken! This is really neat!" Mew Ken insisted, blue eyes dancing with excitement. "Here, I'll show you!"

The next thing Ken knew, he was flipped upside down and falling into black nothingness. Panic gripped him, yet his body already seemed to know what to do. His spine twisted and his body righted itself, causing him to land safely on his feet.

"How the heck did I do that?" Ken asked, not sure what to make of the seemingly automatic response. The movement reminded him of those videos on Animal Planet, where it shows what happens when cats fall and how they always seem to land on their feet.

"That's what cats do Ken!" Mew Ken giggled, popping the bubble and floating down to join his human counterpart. "No matter how many times you drop a cat, it always lands on its feet! Wanna see again?"

"No!" Ken quickly shouted, not wanting to be dropped again, even if he was guaranteed to land safely.

"Aww, don't be angry Ken!" Mew Ken whined, fixing his counterpart with his innocent blue-eyed stare. "I just wanted to show you how great being a Mew could be!"

"Why does a Mew need to be able to land on its feet if it can _fly_?" Ken demanded, not sure what the whole point was.

"Oh! You wanna learn how to fly Ken?" Mew Ken asked, completely misinterpreting the other's question. "Ok! I'll show you!"

"No, that's not what I meant!" Ken explained, rushing to get away from his Pokémon half. He found himself picked up by psychic energy and lifted upward, Mew Ken's playful giggling echoing eerily throughout the empty blackness. "LET ME GO!"

"Are you sure? Ok Ken, but that's not how I would've done it."

The next thing Ken knew, Mew Ken had dropped him, sending him falling into the black void…

* * *

"Ahhhh!" Ken screamed, snapping awake. He glanced around him to find himself in his sleeping bag, his Pokémon gazing at him with concern.

"Are you ok Ken?" Sora asked, her expression heavy with worry.

"Bad dream Master?" Shade asked, as Zoey walked over and hugged his arm.

"Ken had a bad dream? Zoey will make it better!"

"I'm ok guys," Ken assured them, thankful to be back in the real world, where Mew ken couldn't try and drop him on his head. "My dreams have just been a little…weird lately."

Sora nodded, curling up in her friends lap. "If you wanna talk about it, we're here for you Ken," she explained, and Zoey and Shade nodded in agreement.

"Thanks guys, I needed that. I'd better try to get back to sleep, we've gotta get up early tomorrow," Ken sighed, slipping back into his sleeping bag and rolling over onto his side, his body curling up into a ball. Blinking, he rolled over onto his other side, the same thing happening. "What the heck?" Trying several more times, Ken found that for some reason, his body kept trying to curl itself into a ball. With a groan, he decided to ignore it for the time being, and drifted off into a rather restless sleep.

* * *

"Ken, aren't you up yet?" Chris asked, a bit worried. Normally Ken was the first one of them to be up, but this morning he and Marik had already been up for twenty minutes and the Mew hybrid still showed no sign of waking up any time soon.

Walking over to his friends sleeping bag, he blinked in surprise as he spotted Ken curled up in a ball like a cat, snoozing away.

"Um…that's weird," Marik remarked, voicing Chris's unspoken opinion. "I know that I haven't known him as long as you have, but I'm _positive _that he doesn't normally sleep like that!"

Ignoring Marik's comment for the time being, Chris walked over and began to gently nudge the Mew hybrid in an attempt to wake him up.

"Huh? Chris?" Ken asked, blinking sleepily as his mind attempted to process what was going on. With a yawn, he began to stretch himself out like a cat, his back arching in a rather strange manner, before he stopped to look at his two friends in confusion. "What time is it?"

"After nine," Chris replied, as Marik simply stared. "Did you not get enough sleep last night?"

"Not really," Ken admitted, stretching himself out again before beginning to knead his sleeping bag. "Ok, why are you guys looking at me like that?" he asked, pausing as he noticed that his friends were regarding him strangely.

"Uhh…" Chris and Marik muttered, not sure how to tell Ken that he was acting like a cat. "…No reason."

Ken narrowed his eyes, clearly not buying it. "Ok seriously guys, what is it?"

"Well," Chris began, trying to break it to Ken as gently as possible, "you see—"

"You were sleeping curled up in a ball like a cat, when you woke up you stretched yourself out like a cat, twice by the way, and a couple seconds ago you started kneading your sleeping bag like a cat!" Marik blurted out, causing Chris to facepalm.

"I did all that?" Ken asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"Uh-huh," Chris and Marik replied, not sure what to say.

Ken blinked, eyes widening as the events of last night came rushing back to him. Ripping off his shirt, he turned and stared in horror at the pink Mew fur that went from between his shoulder blades to the spot just above his tail.

"That's a lota fur," Marik mumbled, mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Whipping his head around, Ken glared at Marik, back arching, lips pulled back as he let out an angry hiss. His friends watched in shock as the fur along his back began to bristle and stand on end, as if to make him appear more intimidating.

"Ken, take it easy!" Chris said, taking a cautious step towards the angry Mew hybrid. "Look, let's just get to Saffron! I'm sure Sabrina will be able to help you!"

"Help me? Yeah…help me…" Ken muttered, slowly beginning to relax, his fur beginning to lie flat once more. Pulling on his shirt, Ken began to gather up his things, not really looking at his friends much after that. A quick breakfast, and they were off.

* * *

The group continued on their way to Saffron, stopping only to have a quick lunch, and around four o' clock, finally made it to the front gate.

"Sorry, roads closed," the guard replied unenthusiastically, sweat dripping down his face.

"Mew look pretty hot and thirsty," Ken remarked with a smile, pulling out a can of lemonade from his backpack and immediately catching the guard's attention. "Bet this would taste _real good _after standing guard all day, huh?" he taunted, waving the drink in front of the guard.

"All right kid, whatta ya want?" the man growled, gaze fixed on the can of lemonade in the Mew hybrids hand.

Ken's friends swore they heard him let out a purr of satisfaction before saying, "You let my friends and I through, and I give Mew the lemonade. Deal?"

The guard bit his lip, knowing that he could be fired for letting such a thing happen. "Fine!" he snapped, grabbing the drink and chugging it. Wiping his mouth, he added, "But if anyone asks, I never saw you. Got it?"

"Got it!" the three travels agreed, huge grins visible on their faces. Hurrying through the gates, they failed to notice the little girl in the white hat and dress staring at them just out of sight…

* * *

"Wow, this place is _huge_!" Ken gasped, eyes widening at the sight of all the tall buildings.

Chris nodded in agreement; Saffron City made the previous city's they'd visited look tiny.

"Awesome! A place this big is bound to be filled with tons of beautiful girls!" Marik gushed, causing his friends to sigh and shake their heads.

A soft giggling to their right made the group turn and stare. There, a girl stood dressed in a white dress, the white hat she wore obscuring her eyes from view. She giggled again and pranced over to them, wrapping her arms around Ken's waist in a tight hug.

"Oh! A kitty! I _LOVE _kitties!" she giggled, hugging him even tighter, causing Ken's face to turn red with embarrassment.

"That's not really what I meant," Marik muttered, causing Chris to groan.

Clearly not noticing the Mew hybrid's discomfort, the girl skipped around Ken excitedly, before clambering onto his shoulders.

"Ooh! You have funny ears! Are they soft and furry like a kitty's?" she asked, reaching out her hands to touch them.

"Hey, get down from there! What do Mew think you're do—oh, that feels nice!" Ken purred, as the little girl began to rub his ears like one would a cat's. A soft purr began to form in his throat, quickly turning into a loud rumble as the girl continued to pet his ears, giggling as she did so.

"Should we do something?" Chris asked, not sure what to make of the situation.

"No way! This is _so _going on YouTube!" Marik laughed, already whipping out his Pokénav.

Eventually the girl grew tired of petting Ken's ears and hopped off his shoulders, her attention turning to the next piece of interest: his tail.

"Meeew!" Ken yelped, jumping as the little girl gave his tail a sudden and rather unexpected tug.

"He-he! You're fun Mr. Mew Boy!" the girl laughed, releasing his tail and rushing over to give him a big hug. "Can you stay and play with me? I have a friend in Vermillion who I _really_ wanna go visit! Can you take me there? Please? Please?"

"Sorry kid," Ken sighed, deciding to let the 'Mew Boy' thing slide this once. "But I need to get to the Saffron Gym as soon as possible—"

"NO!" the little girl screamed, tightening her hold on him, her body visibly tensing. Ken swore he felt on odd chill in the air as the girl continued to cling to him, her face buried in his side. "No, you can't go! _Please_!"

"Hey, it's all right," Ken soothed, crouching down to speak to her eye to eye, though the girl still kept her eyes hidden beneath the brim of her hat. "I'm sure your mommy or daddy will be able Mew take you to visit your friend soon."

The girl shook her head. "It has to be you. I…I can't leave without my big sister. Maybe you can help me…"

"Look, I'm really sorry," Ken sighed, glancing at his friends for guidance, "but I have Mew get to the Saffron Gym. It's really, _really_ important! Understand?"

The little girl sighed. "I warned you."

"Whoa!" Ken jumped backwards in surprise as the little girl lifted her head up, making her eyes fully visible. His breath caught in his throat as he saw that they were bright red, glowing with a light all their own. The little girl then turned away from him and ran through the streets of Saffron City, vanishing as she rounded a corner.

_I warned you, _a voice echoed inside Ken's head, causing him to shudder.

"What was that about?" Marik asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"I don't know, but there was something weird about that girl," Ken replied, unable to escape his growing feeling of unease.

* * *

"Ok, so this is the Saffron Gym, right?" Ken asked, after the group had searched all over town. Already it was around five thirty, meaning that they would have to head to the Pokémon Center soon if they wanted a chance at a room.

"Uh…I think so," Chris replied, staring at the map uncertainly. "It looks like it, anyway…"

Shaking his head at his friend's terrible sense of direction, Ken pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"Um…Chris? I could be wrong here, but I don't think this is the Saffron Gym," Ken muttered, as he and the others glanced around. Everywhere they looked, guys in karate uniforms were training their Fighting Pokémon, the sound of hundreds of punches echoing throughout the building.

"Oops!" the Rigigigas hybrid chuckled, turning the map upside right. "Says here that this is the Fighting Dojo. The Saffron Gym is next door…"

"How in the world did you manage to mix _that _up?" Ken groaned, feeling like a complete idiot.

"Ah, visitors!" one of the men announced, taking notice of their presence. "My name is Kiyo, and I'm known as the Karate King around he…" he trailed off, spotting the pink feline ears and long twitching tail. "Out!" the man shouted, taking Ken firmly by the shoulders and beginning to shove him towards the door. "Out, out, out! We don't want any more trouble!" And with that, he tossed Ken outside, the Mew hybrid landing flat on his face.

"Ah, what was that for?" Ken grumbled, pulling his face up out of the dirt. A sudden laughter nearby made him look up. A man with short black hair and a matching beard stood in front of him, regarding him with amusement.

"Sorry," the man chuckled, extending his hand to help Ken up, "but ever since Sabrina defeated all the Trainers there and stripped them of their gym status, they haven't been very friendly to Psychic Trainers."

"Mew mean, this place used to be a real gym?" Ken asked, tail swishing in curiosity.

The man nodded. "Not too long ago, there were two gyms in Saffron City. However, Pokémon League regulations would only allow there to be one, so the two leaders fought. Sabrina easily defeated him, and the Fighting Dojo lost its gym status, making Sabrina's gym the official gym of Saffron City." The man sighed and slowly shook his head. "They've hated psychics ever since."

Ken was about to ask what that had to do with him when he didn't even _own_ any Psychic type Pokémon, when he recalled that being part Mew probably qualified in there book.

The man laughed. "That it does kid. By the way, speak whatever language you're most comfortable. Being a psychic lets me know what you're trying to say."

"You can understand me?" Ken asked, eyes widening in surprise.

"Well, you are a Psychic type," the man replied with a shrug. "I wouldn't be much of a psychic if I couldn't, would I?"

"So, you know Sabrina?" Ken asked, figuring that the man must have trained with the Gym Leader, like the majority of psychics in the area.

"You could say that," the man muttered, his expression darkening. "You're planning to ask her to train you, aren't you? I'm telling you right now, psychic power isn't something you should take lightly. It changes people, you'll never be the same again," the man explained, shaking his head sadly. "Is that something you really want?"  
"I'm already not the same," Ken sighed, running a hand across the fur that came up to his elbows. "I don't care about being the best psychic, I just want to be able to defend myself from Team Rocket, and to find out why I'm turning into a Mew!"

The man regarded Ken thoughtfully for a moment before nodding. "Seems like your intentions are pure, not that I'm surprised, you are part Mew after all. Still, I'd stay as far away from that gym as possible if I were you."

"Why?" Ken asked, not willing to believe that he had come all the way there for nothing.

"Sabrina…hasn't been herself lately," the man replied after a long pause, as if choosing his words carefully. "Trust me, going to see her is a _huge_ mistake."

"Well, I think I'll take my chances," Ken replied, tail flicking in irritation as he made his way towards the gym. Unnoticed to him, the man's eyes had begun to glow red. Suddenly, Ken's pants unzipped themselves, falling around his ankles, and he began to dance.

"Ken, _what the heck_?" Chris, asked, as Marik once again pulled out his Pokénav.

"It's not my fault!" Ken protested, face growing hot with embarrassment. "My body's moving by itself!"

"So folks, if you were ever wondering whether the Mew Boy wears briefs or boxers, I've got the answer live on camera!" Marik announced, clearly filming Ken's predicament. "Boxers!"

"Shut up!" Ken growled, feeling as if he was about to die of embarrassment.

Suddenly, Ken's eyes flashed pink and the man was thrown backwards a step, a look of shock on his face. Finally feeling his body back under his control, Ken quickly pulled his pants up, trying not to think about the fact that his friends had just gotten a good long look at his underwear.

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting you to be able to use psychic power without any kind of training," the man said at last, regarding Ken with a look of interest. "Maybe you _do _have what it takes to help Sabrina after all. I sure would like to see her smile again." The man turned, looking as if he was about to leave, before glancing over his shoulder once more. "Still, I wouldn't recommend it. She won't let me read her thoughts anymore, but I don't have to be a psychic to know that something isn't right. Be careful. It may be the last thing you ever do." And with that, the man turned, vanishing in flash of light that Ken recognized as teleportation.

"You ok Ken?" Chris asked once the man was gone, placing a comforting hand on the Mew hybrid's shoulder.

Ken slowly nodded. "Yeah, just got a headache, that's all."

* * *

Not far away, the man watched the group as they headed into Saffron Gym, a pleading look on his face.

_Please Mew Boy, _he thought to himself, fist clenched. _Please save my little girl…_

* * *

Inside the Saffron Gym, Ken was met with perhaps the strangest thing he'd ever seen in his life: rather than training their Pokémon, the people in the Saffron Gym appeared to be training each other. Ken's eyes widened in surprise as one man tried and succeeded to telekinetically bend a spoon.

"May I help you?"

Ken turned towards the sound of the voice to see a woman approaching him, dressed all in red, her long jade green hair flowing down past her shoulders. Her cold gaze seemed to be trying to burn a hole through his skull.

"Uh…y-yeah," Ken replied, too nervous to even bother transitioning from using Pokéspeak. "I was hoping that—"

"That I could train you, and figure out why you are turning into a Mew," Sabrina interrupted, as if she already knew the answer.

Ken nodded, not sure what else to say.

The woman sighed. "It is an honor to be allowed to train here. What makes you so special?"

Ken blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. "Um…I'm part Mew? How much more special can you get?"

Sabrina shook her head. "You misunderstand. While it's true that you are…unique…what I seek in a student is potential. If you think you're up to it, I will now test your potential in two parts. Part one: you must battle me."

"W-what?" Ken asked, startled. "I'm not here for a gym badge!"

"Nor will I be giving you one," Sabrina replied, beginning to levitate above the floor, the other Trainers clearing the area. "As you're not very experienced, I will use my weakest Pokémon against you."

"My, my, Sabrina, that's a bit harsh, don't you think?" an Abra chuckled, suddenly appearing on the woman's right shoulder. "I should think that you would be _happy_ to use me in battle. Perhaps this challenger will provide us with some entertainment!"

"Battles are a serious matter Xellos," Sabrina replied in a cold tone, to which the Abra shrugged.

"Yes, but what fun is it if the battle is—" the Abra began, suddenly slumping, as if he had suddenly dozed off. _–over before things even get interesting? _he continued telepathically, grinning even in his sleep.

"Uh…did your Abra just fall asleep?" Ken asked, not sure what to make of the whole thing.

"He's narcoleptic, as all Abra are," she explained, as if it were no big deal. "The use of their psychic powers puts such a strain on their brains that they must sleep for at least eighteen hours a day, often dozing off randomly in order to do so."

"Um…ok? Are you sure that he can still battle?" Ken asked, not really liking the idea of battling a sleeping Pokémon.

"Positive," Sabrina replied, in a tone of utmost confidence.

Reluctantly, Ken reached for his Pokeballs. Sora was part Poison, and therefor weak to Psychic attacks, and Shade…well, Shade wasn't the strongest battler.

_I guess I'll use Zoey, _Ken thought to himself, recalling how well the little Clefairy had done in his battle with Misty. However, before he could release Zoey from her Pokeball, Shade materialized on the field in a flash of light. "Shade, what are you doing?" Ken asked, scrambling for the fish's Pokeball

Shade turned to look at Ken, offering him a respectful bow. "I wish to finally prove my worth to you, my Master."

"Shade, you can't handle this," Ken sighed, shaking his head in frustration. "Come on, get back in the—"

"No Master, I will not return to the Sphere of Command!" Shade replied, a stubborn look in his eye.

Ken was shocked; Shade had always been one of his most loyal and obedient Pokémon. "Shade? Are you ok?"

The Magikarp didn't answer, instead turning to look at the Abra who had Teleported to the center of the battle field, eyes glowing with determination.

"Your choice is final," Sabrina said, regarding the Magikarp with what could have been interest. "We will begin when you are ready."

"B-but Shade can't battle!" Ken protested, tripping over his own words.

"Have you ever tried me?" the Magikarp countered, turning to face Ken with a look of anger and sadness. "The Merchant kept me for a very long time, so long that I can't even say for certain. He stopped many on our travels in an attempt to sell me, yet none would have me." Ken stared in surprise as a single tear ran down the Magikarp's face. "They all said I was weak, common, or useless. None wanted me. And then…and then you came, Master Mew. You came, and I was sure that you would be the one to unlock all the hidden potential locked up inside of me. Though you objected at first, as all others did, you honored me by Transforming into my likeness. It was then that I knew that you were the one. My assumptions turned out to be correct when the Sphere of Command rolled to a stop at your feet, ready to serve you." Shade paused, his eyes shining with admiration and loyalty. "That was the happiest day of my life, Master Mew."

Ken's heart sank, knowing that it hadn't really happened like that; that he had initially been ready to leave Shade, not particularly wanting a Magikarp. He felt even worse when he realized that he had never bothered to battle with Shade, not even once. And then, when it came to training the Magikarp, it hadn't been him to do it, but Danny.

"Shade, I—"

"I've always wanted to be useful to you, my Master," Shade interrupted, looking Ken straight in the eye. "I was sure that one day you would call upon my services, but that day never came…" The Magikarp flopped over to Ken, eyes glowing with the determination and resolve of someone who would take on the world. "Believe in me, Mater Mew! Lend me your strength, and I promise, I will show you what I can be!"

"Shade," Ken whispered, reaching out a hand to pet the Magikarp on the head, "I'm sorry…"

Everyone gasped as the Magikarp's body erupted in an enormous flash of blinding light, light so bright, Ken had to shut his eyes. When he opened them, it wasn't a Magikarp that was staring at him, but a gigantic Gyarados.

"Shade…evolved…" Chris muttered, still not sure if he believed what he was seeing.

"Lucky," Marik sighed, though it was clear that he had a newfound sense of respect for the former Magikarp and his Trainer.

The enormous Gyarados lowered his head and rested it in the palm of Ken's still outstretched hand, a slight smile on his face. "It is all right Master. May I battle for you now?"

Speechless, Ken just nodded.

A grin broke out on the Abra's face, and he glanced over his shoulder at Sabrina, though how he could see her with his eyes closed was a mystery.

_This looks like it will be an interesting match, _he remarked, smile growing. _May I?_

Sabrina nodded. "Just don't play with him too long."

Shade turned to face the Abra, eyes glowing with determination and resolve. The Abra stared right back, a smile playing on his lips, before launching a Shadow Ball. Shade, unprepared for the attack, took the move head on.

"Shade!" Ken cried out, watching with concern as the shadowy orb impacted against his Pokémon's head, producing a small explosion.

Shade, on the other hand, was not the least bit concerned, shaking off the attack and letting out a roar before charging at the Abra with a Tackle attack.

Xellos grinned before easily Teleporting away, Shade's attack causing the floor of the gym to shake as he completely missed his target.

_Ah-ah!_ _You'll have to do better than that! _Xellos taunted, shaking his finger at the massive Gyarados as if he were scolding a small child.

Shade let out a roar of fury before attempting to Tackle Xellos again, and again, each time missing as the Abra Teleported out of reach.

"Shade, cut it out!" Ken shouted, but the angry Gyarados didn't seem to hear him.

"I have heard that a Magikarp's brain undergoes a transformation when it evolves into Gyarados," Chris remarked, as Shade tried and failed once more to hit the rapidly moving Abra. "Supposedly, that's to blame for its incredibly violent temper."

"So Shade might not even be _Shade_ anymore?" Ken asked, heart sinking at the thought of losing his friend.

Chris shook his head. "No, I'm just saying he might be more prone to anger now and doesn't know how to handle it."

Ken watched as his former Magikarp's eyes narrowed into slits, and he began thrashing about, attacking everything in sight.

"Not good!" Marik shouted, stumbling as the tremors caused by Shade's attacks rocked the battlefield. "Once a Gyarados goes on a rampage, there's no escape! That's it, we might as well abandon all hope right here!" Marik let out a long wail of defeat before shouting at the top of his lungs, "I'm too young to die again! Think of all the girls who'll miss me!"

Chris facepalmed and Ken quickly pulled out his Pokedex, hoping that it would be able to provide him with some helpful information.

"Thrash," the Pokedex announced, as Ken turned and pointed it at Shade. "A powerful, yet uncontrollable move. Once the user starts, they will be unable to stop until they tire themselves out. Massive damage to the surrounding area usually follows using this move. Trainers should use extreme caution."

"Just great! Shade learns a new move, only to try and kill everyone with it!" Ken shouted, not sure what to do about his out of control Pokémon.

"This cannot be allowed to continue," Sabrina said, reaching for one of the Pokeballs attached to her belt. "We'll just have to knock him out!"

"No!" Ken shouted, shooting a pleading glance at the Saffron City Gym Leader. "Please, let me handle it!"

"Then handle it," Sabrina commanded, fixing her gaze completely on Ken. Though her voice was calm, her icy gaze sent chills down his spine.

Ken stared out at the battlefield at the giant Gyarados that was once his crazy Magikarp and gulped. Just how was he supposed to stop something over ten times his size?

_He's still Shade! _Mew Ken pointed out, as Xellos continued to dodge the Gyarados's wildly thrown attacks with expert precision. _You can get through to him! I know you can!_

With a quick nod, Ken took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and did the only thing he could think of.

"SHADE, KNOCK IT OFF!"

Hearing Ken's voice, Shade paused in his wild rampage, blinking in confusion. "Master?"

Ken sighed in relief, glad that Shade still remembered him and seemed to have calmed down. Without the slightest hesitation, he walked out onto the battlefield, wrapped his arms around the giant sea serpent, and let his head rest on the Pokémon's side, taking deep calming breaths as he did so.

"Shade," he said once he had finally managed to calm down somewhat.

"Yes Master?" Shade asked, turning his head to face the rather shaken Mew hybrid.

"Don't ever do that again."

"Yes Master."

* * *

Author's notes: Well, that's chapter 41, hope everybody enjoyed it. I'm trying to update more frequently now, but it'll take a while before I'll be able to get back to weekly updates. Thank you all for your patience and support. As always, thoughts, comments, and suggestions are welcome! :)


	43. Ch 42: Sweet Dreams are Made of This

Author's notes: It's finally here!

First of all, I'd like to apologize to everyone for the long wait, I ran into some difficulties regarding this chapter. (Please see profile page) The good news is, I'm happier with how the plot is progressing than it was in my last draft, and I've already started working on the next chapter, so it should be up soon, hopefully.

So with that taken care of, here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy it! :)

* * *

Chapter 42: Sweet Dreams are Made of This

Once all the excitement had calmed down, Ken quickly returned Shade to his Pokeball and was about to head out the door, only to be stopped by Sabrina.

"And just where do you think you're going?" she asked, Xellos Teleporting over to have a seat on her shoulder.

"Um…to the Pokémon Center?" Ken replied nervously, having a feeling that he was about to be reprimanded for not controlling his Pokémon properly, causing numerous damage to the battlefield, and scaring the gym's Trainers half to death.

"Well, I suppose that's fine as long as you're here bright and early tomorrow morning," Sabrina replied, fixing Ken with a glare that sent chills down his spine. "I don't like to be kept waiting."

"Huh?" Ken asked, not sure what the Saffron Gym Leader was getting at.

"I'm going to train you," Sabrina explained, pushing a strand of hair out of her face and regarding the teen like he was a total idiot. From her right shoulder, Xellos was trying to hide the fact that he was giggling like mad, and failing miserably.

Ken stood there in silence, his mouth hanging open in shock. "What?"

"I'm going to train you," Sabrina repeated, beginning to sound irritated. "It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but…I thought I had to, you know, prove myself," Ken sputtered, still not sure if he believed what he was hearing.

"It takes a great deal of skill to calm a Gyarados, especially one that is on a rampage," Sabrina explained, her gaze wandering to the gold plated Pokeball that Ken still held in his hand. "When I said I would be testing you, there were two things that I was looking for: skill and heart. You've proven that you have both. Now, whether you have the skills to be a good psychic, I cannot say. You are difficult for me to read…however, I sense a great power sleeping inside you…" Sabrina muttered, her eyes beginning to glow red ever so slightly.

"So…it was never about me winning?" Ken asked, still trying to make sense of what Sabrina was saying.

_My boy, if Sabrina had wanted to, she could have stomped you into the ground before the battle had even begun! She chose me for the battle because I know how to show a little restraint!_ Xellos laughed, clearly amused by the very notion of Ken even lasting five minutes with his Trainer.

"Oh…" Ken muttered, feeling rather embarrassed as he recalled that the Abra was supposed to be Sabrina's weakest Pokémon.

_Says the one who can't even Teleport without losing his lunch! _Xellos laughed, reading Ken's mind not so discretely.

"True, it will take a lot of work," Sabrina admitted, shooting an irritated glare at the Abra on her shoulder, who Teleported away, looking rather amused. "You will have to be willing to make sacrifices. Once we unlock your Psychic powers, you will never be the same." She fixed her gaze on Ken, her eyes challenging and critical. "Can you live with that?"

Ken gulped, his legs beginning to turn to jelly beneath the Gym Leader's icy stare. Still, he had come so far…

"Yes," he replied firmly, though the shaking of his legs and his tails efforts to curl protectively around him betrayed his true feelings.

Sabrina raised an eyebrow, staring deep into the blue eyes of the boy before her. Her abilities let her see the fear that he was trying not so successfully to hide, yet it also let her see something else: courage, determination, and a power unlike which she had ever seen. All he had to do was open the lock…

"Tomorrow, eight o' clock sharp," Sabrina said simply, turning to be on her way. "Don't keep me waiting."

Ken nodded breathlessly, and shakily made his way back to the Pokémon Center.

* * *

Ken's dreams were strange that night, even for him. It was dark, and he found himself standing in Saffron City, yet it seemed to be abandoned.

"Hello?" he called, his voice echoing eerily throughout the empty landscape. "Chris? Marik? Sora? Is anyone there?" A soft giggling sounded off to his right, causing him to jump and turn on the spot, but he saw no one. "Mew Ken? Come on, Mew Ken this isn't funny!" Ken growled, though a shiver found its way down his spine, making him shudder. "Come on, I'm not in the mood for games!"

"That's too bad, I was really hoping that you'd play with me," a voice replied with a laugh. Ken wasn't sure who the voice belonged to, but one thing was for certain: it wasn't Mew Ken.

"Who's there?" Ken demanded, ears pricked for any suspicious sounds, tail whipping back and forth nervously.

Out of nowhere a little girl in a white dress appeared, her eyes hidden beneath the brim of her hat. She giggled once, before taking off running through the streets, a huge smile on her face.

"Catch me if you can, Mr. Mew Boy!" she laughed, disappearing behind a building.

"Hey wait!" Ken called after her, quickly giving chase. "It's not safe for a little girl to go running around the streets at night all alone!"

He followed the girl for several blocks, all the while wondering why he hadn't seen any people. None of the lights were even on. Finally, he saw the girl duck into one of the houses, motioning him to follow her.

Cautiously, Ken made his way inside, not really liking the idea of just barraging into someone's house uninvited. Still, there didn't seem to be anyone here…

"Better hurry up!" the little girl laughed, her footsteps pounding up the stairs.

With a sigh, Ken made his way up the stairs. After all, this was a dream, he reminded himself. It wasn't as if he was going to get arrested by the dream police.

Making his way down the hallway, Ken spotted a flash of green hair duck into one of the rooms. Following it, he opened the door to the most shocking sight of his life: a life size doll in the shape of a woman lay on the bed, facing a TV that wasn't even on. What got him the most, however, were her eyes: they were so full of sadness and desperation that Ken was sure he could almost hear the woman pleading with him to help her. Then, the doll turned to face him, causing him to practically jump right out of his skin.

"Oh hello dear, so nice of you to come visit!" she said cheerily, though her mouth never moved. "I'd offer you some tea, but my movements are a bit limited, I'm afraid."

"Who are you?" Ken asked, his fear beginning to melt away to wonder as he realized that the doll was not a threat.

"A mother," she replied, deep sadness evident in her voice, though her face never changed. "You've met my little girl already."

From down the hall, Ken could make out the sound of laughter.

"The girl in the white dress? Green hair? Looks like she's about—"

"About five years old," the woman interrupted with a nod. "Don't let her looks fool you; she's far stronger than she looks. Her psychic powers have gone far beyond what anyone had expected. With them, she was able to change me into a doll."

"But how is that even possible?" Ken asked in shock, the sound of laugher growing steadily louder.

"Please, please you must help her! She put everything she had into developing her psychic powers until…until she just…lost herself!" the woman explained, as the house began to shake. "Don't fall under her spell! Get away! Please, you must get away! Run! Before it's too late!" the woman shouted, voice barely audible over the intense rumbling that filled the house.

Ken fell onto his hands and knees as the roof of the house was suddenly ripped clean off, staring up in horror at the gigantic image of the little girl staring down at him, as if he were no more than a doll in her doll house.

"Oh, you found Mommy!" the little girl laughed, her eyes glowing an eerie red. "Now you and Mommy can have fun in my doll house forever and ever!"

"Run! the woman screamed, as Ken backed away from the giant hand that was reaching towards him. "Get away and get help! Please, you're her only hope!"

Ken flinched as the hand came dangerously close to grabbing him, then stared in shock as a familiar looking Abra Teleported between them. Xellos shook his finger at the little girl as if scolding her, grabbed Ken, then disappeared in another flash of Teleportation.

Ken found himself on the streets of Saffron, clutching his stomach and dry heaving as he glanced around nervously for the little girl.

"Try all you want, you're never going to be able to throw up anything," Xellos laughed, hovering in front of Ken and looking very amused. "This is a dream, remember?"

"Just great," Ken groaned, as his stomach once again tried and failed to empty itself. "Even in my dreams, Teleporting makes me sick!"

"Only because you expect it to. Since this is a dream, it's all happening in your mind. You have no physical body, per se, and therefore, no stomach. Any illness you feel is all in your head."

Ken glanced up at the Abra, realizing that he was right. As the fact dawned on him, he immediately felt the nausea vanish, as if he had never been sick in the first place. Standing up, he glanced around nervously, tail coiling around him instinctively.

"Just what's going on here, Xellos?" Ken asked, feeling both confused and frightened. "Who was that woman? How'd she get turned into a doll? Who was that little girl? Was she the same one I met earlier? I _knew _there was something creepy about her! What does she want with me? Wait, if this is a dream, then how are you here? Are you a dream too?"

"My, my, so many questions!" Xellos laughed, an amused grin on his face. "The least you could do is be patient! First of all, I'm not _technically _here. I'm making Psychic contact with you in your dreams. In short, I'm sleeping. Why do you think I haven't dozed off yet? Because, I'm _already_ sleeping." Ken slowly nodded. That _did _make sense, come to think of it. "However, that doesn't mean that this isn't real. She _can _still use her powers on you, you know."

"So, the girl turned her mom into a doll for real?" Ken asked, eyes wide with disbelief. Xellos nodded. "Man, what did I get myself into?"

"Believe it or not, the girl is the one trying to help you. It's the other part of her you need to watch out for," Xellos explained, causing the Mew hybrid to do a double take.

"Come again? She tried to turn me into a doll!"

"I didn't say she was going about it in the right way," Xellos replied with a shrug. "Look at it this way, if you're turned into a doll, no harm can come to you!"

"I don't _want _to be a doll!" Ken snapped, recalling the time Zoey had used him as her own personal plaything.

"Oh come now, we both know you had fun!" Xellos remarked with a knowing grin.

"Stay out of my head!" Ken growled, throwing his arms up over his head as if to shield his thoughts.

"Ah, but I'm afraid that we're _in _your head, so that would be quite difficult!" Xellos laughed, causing Ken to hiss, the fur on his back beginning to bristle beneath his shirt. "You know, you really do need to get a handle on that temper of yours," Xellos remarked, clicking his tongue in a scolding way. "I thought Mew's were supposed to be happy and playful!"

"I'M NOT A MEW!" Ken snapped, ears lying flat as he let out a feline sounding growl.

"Well, I suppose that explains why you're not happy!" Xellos laughed, Teleporting out of sight.

Ken groaned. As much as Xellos annoyed him, he still wanted the Abra around in case the little girl showed up.

"Xellos? Xellos, are you there?"

"Boo," the Abra said quietly, materializing right in front of the teens face and causing him to stumble backwards out of surprise. "Oh my, did I scare you?" he chuckled, floating upside down. "The look on your face is priceless!"

"How can you even see me if you have your eyes closed all the time?" Ken retorted, tail twitching irritably at the Abra's prank.

"It's a secret," Xellos replied, his smile growing even wider.

"Fine. Well, why are you here exactly? What is it about this whole thing that has you so concerned?"

"Oh, come now! Isn't it possible that I came because I was worried about you?" Xellos asked. The look on Ken's face told him all he needed to know. "Alright, isn't it possible that I didn't want Sabrina blaming me for getting her new student turned into a doll?"

"Honestly, I don't think you care what Sabrina thinks," Ken replied, not the least bit convinced.

"Very well, the truth is…" the Abra began, leaning in really close to Ken's ear, "…it's a secret."

"Xellos!" Ken shouted, as the laughing Abra Teleported a short distance away and began floating down the street, Ken in hot pursuit.

* * *

"Ok," Ken sighed, once he was finally able to catch up to the Abra, "I get that there are some things you can't—or wont—tell me, but can you at least tell me the girls name or something? I'd really like to know who it is that's trying to make me into their own personal plaything!"

"It's a secret," Xellos replied, clearly relishing the look of exasperation on Ken's face.

Ken sighed, realizing he wasn't going to get much out of Xellos, and began slowly making his way down the streets of Saffron, arms crossed in irritation, a very amused Abra floating along beside him.

"So, when am I supposed to wake up exactly?" Ken groaned, getting the feeling that he had been asleep for a very long time.

"That depends on you," Xellos replied with a shrug. "This is your dream, remember?"

A soft giggling up ahead alerted Ken to the little girl standing a mere three feet in front of him, her eyes glowing a bright red, a large doll house sitting at her side.

"Why can't I just have dreams about falling and going out in public naked like everyone else?" Ken groaned, the Abra by his side beginning to snicker.


	44. Chapter 43: Training is the Hardest Part

Author's notes: Hey everybody! I'm back with an early update! Yaaaaay! :)

Anyway, I know that last chapter was kinda short, and not a whole lot happened, but rest assured, the plot is about to pick up! Thank you all for your patience and support!

* * *

Chapter 43: Training is the Hardest Part

"Come back Mr. Mew Boy! I just wanna play with you!" the little girl giggled, as Ken ran like mad through the streets of Saffron, a very amused Xellos floating leisurely around his head and doing absolutely nothing to help.

"I don't wanna be played with!" Ken called back, stumbling and practically tripping over his own feet.

"My, my, why is it that you are so unbelievably clumsy?" Xellos chuckled, ignoring Ken's irritated glare. "Ah, that's it! Your balance is off!" Xellos exclaimed in a voice of mock discovery. "Do you wish to know why that is?"

"Really not the time Xellos!" Ken groaned, as he glanced behind him to see how close the little girl was getting, and cringing when he saw that she was right behind him. _Man, I gotta wake up! Wait, pinching yourself works, right? Oh…but it probably doesn't work to well without nails…wait a minute! _"Xellos, I want you to hit me with one of your Shadow Balls!"

"What now?" Xellos asked, actually looking genuinely surprised.

"Hey, you said it yourself Xellos, this is a dream, meaning that I can't _possibly_ get hurt. Now hit me so I can wake up!"

"Gladly," the Abra replied with a grin, a shadowy orb forming in his hands.

* * *

"Ahhhhh!" Ken cried, shooting upright in bed, his body drenched in cold sweat. His heart was still thumping like crazy, and his tail was wrapped so tightly around himself that he thought it would cut off circulation if it coiled any tighter. With trembling hands, he turned the digital clock on his nightstand to face him; 7:00 Am. "Aw, crap."

* * *

"Your late," Sabrina said as Ken walked in the door, a grinning Xellos floating nearby.

_Not sleep well? _the Abra asked, a knowing smirk on his face.

_Bite me, Xellos, _Ken grumbled, knowing very well that the Pokémon could read his thoughts. "Not really," he admitted, trying and failing to stifle a yawn.

"A true psychic will put everything they have into developing their powers," Sabrina explained, though she clearly heard Ken's unspoken irritation. "I'll ask you again; are you _sure _you're ready for this?"

"Positive!" Ken agreed, tail twitching eagerly despite his drowsiness.

"Very well," Sabrina said, holding out a large metal spoon. "Bend this."

* * *

"Aw, come on!" Ken growled, tail lashing back and forth angrily as he stared hard at the spoon in his hand, begging, pleading, that by some miracle it would bend.

It had been three days since he had come to train with Sabrina, during which time, he still couldn't bend the spoon even slightly. It didn't help that a certain Abra kept popping in unannounced, laughing at his obvious failure.

"My, my, having trouble are we?" Xellos asked, floating next to Ken, an amused grin on his face. "You know for a Psychic type, you're not a very good one!"

"Not now Xellos," Ken growled, focusing even harder on the spoon, which, for whatever reason, still refused to bend.

"Oh come now! I'm only—" Xellos began, slumping as he dozed off, _-looking out for your well-being! _

"Oh you are not!" Ken snapped, his tail beginning to glow briefly before he managed to get control of his emotions. "We both know that you just want to watch me make a fool of myself."

The Abra shrugged. _True, but Sabrina __**did **__ask me to keep an eye on your progress._

Ken sighed and turned his attention once more to the spoon in his hand, doing his best to ignore the annoying Abra. After a few minutes, he stopped, finding Xellos staring at him, a huge smile on his face.

"What is it Xellos?"

_Don't try to bend the spoon, that's impossible, _the Abra sighed, regarding Ken as if he were an idiot. _You must simply realize the truth._

"And what's that?" Ken asked, vaguely interested.

_There is no spoon! _Xellos announced, laughing and Teleporting away as Ken let out an irritated groan.

"Xellos, I swear if I catch you I'm going to Iron Tail that smile right off your face!" Ken shouted, tail glowing brightly before smacking into the floor he was sitting on, leaving a small hole in its wake.

"He's testing you, you know."

"Huh?" Ken looked up to see Sabrina staring at him, the slightest hint of amusement in her eyes, though her face remained emotionless.

"When using psychic powers, concentration is key. However, emotion is a prime factor when it comes to controlling your powers and bending them to your will." She gazed at the spoon in Ken's hand, her eyes glowing bright red. The spoon bent sharply, reversed itself and bent in the opposite direction, before snapping back to its original, unbent, position. "That is why I have put all my focus into harnessing my powers, blocking out all distractions. It is what must be done in order for me to become stronger. I have no time for anger, no time for sadness, no time for happiness. Such emotions will only get in the way of my goal."

"But…that can't be true!" Ken protested, causing the Saffron City Gym Leader's eyes to widen in surprise, her first show of real emotion since Ken had met her.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, quickly regaining her stony composure.

"Because, Mew is one of the most powerful Psychic type Pokémon in the world and it's always so happy!" Ken replied with a laugh, smiling a huge smile that showed off his tiny fangs.

Sabrina's gaze softened and she stared at this boy with the Pokémon-like features in wonder. _So many terrible things have been happening to him and he still manages to smile like that? _she thought, tilting her head to the side slightly in confusion. _Perhaps it's in his nature, Mews __**are **__supposed to be a very happy Pokémon. And to think what I'm going to do to him…_ Sabrina flinched as she heard a soft giggling in her head, the image of a little girl flashing across her mind's eye. _No! I won't give in to foolish compassion!_

"Sabrina?" Ken asked, startling the woman out of her internal turmoil. "Are you ok?"

He sat there staring at her with such innocence and genuine concern that it was all she could do to push the emotions that nipped at her heart to the farthest corners of her mind, never to see the light of day. That innocence simply wasn't found in someone as old as he was. He was like a child, staring at her with those huge blue eyes. Sabrina mentally smiled. Yes, his transformation was already beginning to take its toll on his mind, and the boy didn't even seem to notice. Master Giovanni would be pleased…

"Carry on," she said at last, turning and exiting the room without another word.

* * *

A week passed and, try as he might, Ken still found that he couldn't bend the spoon.

"What am I doing wrong?" he wondered aloud as he lay on his back staring at the object in his hand in confusion.

_Hello Ken! What a pleasure to see you today! _Xellos laughed, popping into the Mew hybrid's field of vision.

"What do you want, Xellos?" Ken asked, pushing himself into a sitting position with a sigh.

_Don't be angry! …Wait, actually yes! Be angry! Or perhaps not, anger really isn't the best emotion for controlling psychic power, even if it is delicious! _

"What are you babbling on about?" Ken asked, turning to give the Abra a bit more of his attention.

_Oh, I can sense human emotions, find them quite enjoyable, actually, particularly the negative ones. Perhaps there was a Gardevoir somewhere in my family tree, though it would have to be pretty far back, seeing as Gardevoir and Alakazam are in completely different Egg Groups despite their appearance—_

"Not that, the other thing!" Ken snapped, quickly losing his patience.

_Well, each emotion has a distinct flavor, which in turn varies from person to person, negative emotions being the most—_

"I mean, tell me about why emotions are important for _me_," Ken growled through clenched teeth, clearly growing tired of the Abra's antics.

_Oh that, why didn't you say so?_ Xellos laughed, clearly having fun messing with Ken. _Well, psychic powers are closely related to a person or Pokémon's mental and emotional state, emotions playing a central role in keeping them in a state of balance. _

"Meaning?"

_Meaning that if one wants to use psychic powers, one must first gain control of their emotions._

"But what Sabrina said can't be right!" Ken protested, eyes widening in disbelief.

_Oh trust me, it isn't, _Xellos replied, sounding serious for perhaps the first time since Ken had met him. _No emotion is just as bad as too much emotion, maybe even worse. As I explained earlier, emotion is the thing keeping ones psychic powers in balance, and therefore, under control. Now, imagine for a moment what would happen if you take away that control. _

"Oh crap," Ken muttered, imagining what would happen if something so strong got out of control.

_Exactly, _Xellos agreed, a slight shudder running down his spine. _Sabrina's method might work for her, arguably, but for you, I suggest you think of something that makes you happy._

"Like what?" Ken asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

_Anything! _Xellos replied with a laugh and a shrug. _How am I supposed to know what makes you happy? Well, I suppose I could have a peak at your mind…_

"That's ok!" Ken quickly replied, covering his head and causing the Abra to snicker. "So…happy things, huh?"

_Yep, that should do it,_ Xellos agreed, Teleporting onto the boy's shoulder. _Also, for this to even work, you need to awaken your powers first. _

"How do I do that?" Ken asked, his tail twitching eagerly.

_Well it's different for everyone, _Xellos explained, Teleporting in front of Ken to regard him with his eerie close-eyed stare. _For Sabrina, it started when she was a child, when a spoon she carelessly tossed bent. I wasn't there, of course, but being a Psychic type lets me learn certain things. Personally, I think your powers have already awakened, you just keep blocking them, so they are, shall we say, dormant. _

"I'm not blocking them!" Ken protested, growing irritated. "I'm trying to learn how to _use them_! Why would I be blocking them?"

_Because in order to use them, you must accept that you are indeed a Pokémon and let your Pokémon instincts guide you, _Xellos explained with a knowing smile. _Something that you __**clearly**__ still refuse to do._

"For the last time, I'M NOT A POKEMON!" Ken shouted, tail blazing with energy and smashing into the wall, sending a large chunk of it flying.

Xellos didn't even flinch. _Well then, explain the tail for me, if you'd be so kind? _

Ken sighed, his ears and tail drooping. He knew he wasn't human, but he was part human. That made him human…right?

_Well, that's a start, _Xellos mused, regarding Ken thoughtfully. _If you admit that you're not __**completely **__human, then it shouldn't be that hard to admit that your part Pokémon, am I right?_

"I _know_ that I'm part Pokémon!" Ken spat, beginning to emit a feline growl. "_That's _the part that scares me!"

Xellos simply watched in silence as the Mew hybrid continued to vent.

"I'm scared that people are going to think I'm a freak, I'm scared of Team Rocket catching me and using me in experiments! I'm scared of what my mother would say if she saw me like this…" he muttered, staring down at his furry hands as tears began to form in his eyes. "I'm scared of turning into a Mew! That's one of the things that worries me the most!" Ken screamed, screwing his eyes shut. "I'm scared that one day I'll turn into a Mew and my Pokémon will be left all alone in the world! _That's _what scares me! Don't you understand? I _can't_ let the Pokémon part of me out because then my Pokémon will be left all alone! That's why…that's why I have to fight it…every day…" Ken explained, his body shaking. "For them…" Tears ran down his cheeks and he quickly wiped them away. "I _know _that I'm part Pokémon, ok? I just don't _want _to be."

_The first step on the long journey to acceptance is admitting to yourself what your problem is,_ Xellos explained, regarding the Mew hybrid with a huge grin. _I'd open your eyes if I were you, Ken._

"Huh?" Ken opened his eyes to find his body glowing with pink energy, the light blazing like fire. "But…why? How?"

_Like I said, the first step to acceptance is admitting to yourself that you have a problem and really discussing your true feelings about it. You've never __**really **__admitted that you were even __**part**__ Pokémon before, have you Ken?_

"I guess…I guess not…" Ken muttered, staring in amazement at the pink glow that had engulfed his body. Spotting the spoon he had dropped earlier, he went to pick it up, only to have the item float over to him. "Whoa!" Ken gasped, the spoon dancing upward wildly before falling and hitting him in the head. "Ouch!"

_Well, that's one way to bend a spoon, _Xellos chuckled, as Ken went to retrieve the fallen spoon, the pink glow having dissipated.

Ken stared at the spoon in his hand, then began searching for whatever energy he had had a moment ago, but couldn't find it. He was about to toss away the spoon in frustration when he noticed that it seemed to be at a bit of an angle. The spoon _had_ bent, though whether that was from psychic power or from hitting him in the head, Ken couldn't be sure.

* * *

The next week seemed to roll by quickly. Sabrina hadn't been impressed with his head spoon, insisting that he do it properly this time, but Ken didn't complain. As far as he was concerned, he had bent a spoon with his mind.

Training was slow going, but Ken soon found that talking with Xellos allowed him to release some of his built up tension, enabling him to focus better. The first time he managed to summon the pink glow around himself once more he practically jumped for joy, though it disappeared almost immediately. Soon though, summoning it got easier.

Once he was able to—fairly reliably—summon the psychic energy on command, Ken began to see if he could do anything with it, starting with the spoon. After several failed attempts, most of them resulting in the spoon hitting him in the face repeatedly, Ken found that by pretending his psychic powers were an arm of sorts, he could get them to do what he wanted. In this way, his powers slowly became an extension of his body.

However, that didn't mean that he had complete control.

"Crap!"

_And another horribly mangled spoon bites the dust! _Xellos chuckled, watching Ken toss the metal ball that used to be a spoon onto a pile of identical looking metal balls.

"Hey, at least I can bend it now!" Ken protested, pulling another spoon out of the box Sabrina had given him. "It just…really bends…"

_Right, _Xellos muttered sarcastically as Ken balled up yet another spoon and tossed it onto the ever-growing pile. _At this rate, you'll be able to open up a museum: When Psychic Powers Go Wrong! _

"Shut up Xellos!" Ken grumbled, the spoon in his hand crumpling in on itself. "At least I'm trying!"

_Well, try harder! _Xellos advised with a laugh. _I'd hate to see what would happen if you tried to use psychic power on something living!_

An image of a Team Rocket grunt curling in on himself and forming a living ball made Ken shudder and turn all his focus back to the spoon. Another few days, and he was able to bend it perfectly.

Moving objects around proved to be much harder, and Ken was glad that Sabrina insisted he start with pillows, as the first thing to happen was the items flew at him and hit him in the face, practically knocking him over with the force of their impact. There was no way he was using anything heavier until he had this skill down.

On the plus side, Ken finally managed to get a hold of telepathy, though he did occasionally use it accidentally from time to time.

_This pillow is stupid! _Ken announced, aiming his thoughts at Chris, who he knew was in the other room with Marik and Sabrina.

"You're doing really good Ken!" Chris called back, since Ken still didn't know how to read minds. Chris made a mental note to attempt to learn telepathy himself; he'd read that most Legendary Pokémon were capable of doing it.

As his second week of training with Sabrina rolled to a close, Ken found that he had learned how to telekinetically bend a spoon, move objects with his mind, speak telepathically, admittedly, with a few occasional mishaps, and create bubbles of psychic energy—although the first few did have a tendency to explode in his face. His powers weren't that strong yet, but his strength was increasing each and every day. Flight, however, proved to still be beyond what he was capable of, and he refused to even attempt teleportation.

* * *

As Ken lay sleeping in the bed that Sabrina had let him use, clearly having realized that it would take longer than she had thought to train him, he smiled knowing that he was finally getting somewhere at last and drifted off into a sound sleep.

* * *

"Wake up."

"Ahhh!" Ken yelped, toppling out of bed and landing hard on the floor, Sora letting out a cry of surprise as she tumbled after her Trainer. He looked up and groaned; seeing Sabrina's cold as ice stare first thing in the morning was not on his top ten favorite ways to start the day. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven 'o clock," Sabrina replied, clearly not caring that she had caused the Mew hybrid to lose his last few minutes of sleep that morning. "I came to tell you that we have a new focus for your training today. You are going to learn how to control the move Transform."

"I already did that," Ken grumbled, rubbing the spot on his head that had made contact with the floor.

Sabrina shook her head. "You know how to initiate it, but you don't know how to keep it from happening when you don't want it to. We're going to fix that." And with that, she left the room, leaving Ken to hurry and get ready for the mornings training.

Upon arriving at the gyms stadium, Sabrina promptly released a Mr. Mime.

"This is Pennywise," she explained, as the clown-like Pokémon grinned at Ken, revealing unusually sharp teeth. "He's going to make contact with you, and your job is to avoid Transforming. Understand?"

Ken nodded nervously, unable to look away from the Pokémon's creepy smile, fairly sure that Mr. Mime were _not_ supposed to have teeth like that.

Silently, Pennywise made his way over to Ken and placed one hand on his shoulder, causing the Mew hybrid to shudder unintentionally. The familiar tingling sensation began, and, try as he might, Ken found that he just couldn't fight the inevitable Transformation. His tail was absorbed into his spine, his ears elongated and shifted to the sides of his head in what seemed to him to be an unnatural angle, and his body structure reshaped itself. In seconds, Ken was a Mr. Mime.

"You're not even trying," Sabrina sighed, shaking her head, as Ken quickly turned back into his human form.

"I'm not sure this is the best method," Ken replied, trying to defend himself from the Gym Leader's harsh judgment.

"Nonsense," Sabrina replied, recalling Pennywise and sending out an Alakazam. "We'll just have to keep trying, wont we Merlin?" The Alakazam gave a nod, raising his spoons.

* * *

Though Sabrina sent out many Pokémon, Ken still found himself unable to fight the effects of Transform. Eventually, his friends decided to help, and by the end of the day, Ken had Transformed into a Mr. Mime, a Quilava, a Mudkip, a Ralts, the entire Abra evolutionary line, and a Larvitar.

"Let's give it rest, ok?" Ken asked from his seat on the floor, looking tired and out of breath. "I don't think I can take much more!"

"Maybe we should stop," Chris agreed, regarding his friend with concern. "He does look pretty worn out."

"Just once more, then we'll call it a day," Sabrina said, motioning for one of her students to come forward.

The teen she'd addressed fidgeted nervously for a moment, his eyes hidden beneath strands of his short purple hair, before complying, releasing some sort of small green bird Pokémon Ken didn't recognize.

"That's a Natu," Chris explained, noticing Ken's confused expression. "You must be from Johto, right?"

The boy, who appeared to be about seventeen, nodded, still not looking up.

Sabrina turned to look at her student, revealing her disapproval. "He asked you a question, Will. Answer him."

The boy looked even more uncomfortable, his mouth moving to make words, but no sound coming out. "El."

"Huh?" Ken asked, having barely heard him.

"El-Elizabeth. H-her name is Elizabeth," Will explained, before hurrying out of the room, his Natu perched on his shoulder.

Sabrina shook her head. "He's never going to make it as a psychic that way."

"What's wrong with him?" Marik asked, only to be elbowed by Chris.

"He's an amazing Trainer, one of the best I've seen," Sabrina explained, eyes wandering to where she knew her student stood listening. "He just let's his shyness get in the way." She turned back to Ken and shrugged her shoulders. "It's getting late. I suggest you get some rest. We'll be working twice as hard tomorrow."

* * *

Ken yawned, heading towards his room, only to trip over something, the something letting out a tiny cry. Glancing over to his side, Ken spotted the cowering form of Will, Elizabeth fluffing out her feathers angrily at her friend having been stepped on.

"Oops! I'm really sorry! Are you ok?" Ken asked, offering his hand to help the older teen up, only to have him shrink back as if in fear. "Umm…I didn't mean to step on you," Ken explained, doing his best to give the other boy his space.

"…k."

"What?"

"I-its ok," Will said, shifting into a sitting position, his head down and turned away. "Y-you didn't mean it."

Slowly, Ken sat down next to the teen, tail twitching in curiosity. "Why are you training under Sabrina, exactly? I mean—you're psychic, right? Well, I guess you'd have to be if you can understand me!" Ken laughed, stomach knotting with guilt as he saw the other stiffen. Slowly though, he began to hear something that sounded suspiciously like laugher.

"Y-yes, I guess you're right!" Will laughed, turning to face Ken for the first time, a huge smile on his face. Ken was able to make out the other's bright blue eyes before a heavy blush came to his face and he turned away, hiding once more within the shield that was his bangs. "I-I'm sorry. I…I'm not very good with people…"

"It's ok," Ken assured Will, struggling to find some way to make him more comfortable. "You know, I'm only half human. Why not just pretend I'm a Pokémon?"

Will shot up, his blue eyes widening with surprise. "Y-yes…yes, I suppose that could work!" He turned to Ken, all traces of his previous insecurity gone and held out his hand. "My name's Will Itsuki! Nice to meet you!"

"Uh…Ken," Ken replied, extending his hand and accepting the handshake. "Likewise."

"Master Will has always been very shy," the tiny Natu chirped from her position on Will's shoulder, causing him to blush. "It's hard for him to meet new people, but Pokémon have always been easy!"

Will nodded. "It's true. When I was a child, I'd go out and play with the wild Pokémon every day, but with people…" he trailed off, an embarrassed look on his face. "I used to wear a paper bag over my head just so I could talk to people without running away in fear. It worked really well for a while, but…well, when you get older, people tend to make fun of you for wearing a paper bag on your head all the time."

"But the paper bag helped?" Ken asked, not really understanding how something so simple as putting a paper bag over your head could possible give someone confidence.

"Oh, yes! I became like a completely different me! …that is, until people started giving me weird looks," Will explained, bangs falling in front of his eyes once more. "Well, I should be going. It really is getting late," Will muttered, walking a few steps, then turning around and lifting his head up to offer the other a smile of gratitude. "Thanks for talking with me Ken! Most people wouldn't even try!"

"Your…your welcome," Ken replied, though he had the sinking feeling that it wasn't the right thing to say.

* * *

"Hi Ken, how's training going?" Mew Ken asked, bouncing on a pink bubble and regarding his human half with a huge smile.

"Well, at least there isn't a little girl trying to turn me into a doll this time," Ken muttered, as he looked about the vast and empty expanse of his dreamscape.

"No, just me!" a familiar Abra announced, materializing in a flash of light.

"Xellos!" Ken groaned, tail twitching in irritation. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking in," the Abra replied, floating leisurely in the air. "You know, you've got something on your face."

"Where?" Ken asked, feeling his face but finding it impossible to tell anything with furry fingers.

"Here!" Xellos exclaimed, Teleporting over and flicking Ken on the nose.

"Xellos!" Ken growled, rubbing his nose, his tail flicking in irritation.

"I like him!" Mew Ken announced with a giggle. "He's fun!"

"You would think that," Ken grumbled, creating a bubble of psychic energy and sitting on it, since the idea of sitting on thin air bothered him. After all, you just never knew when it would cease to be solid.

"Careful Ken, you're not very good at that yet!" Xellos advised, a mischievous grin on his face.

"I'm _fine_ Xellos!" Ken snapped, just before the bubble popped, causing him to land rather painfully on his tail.

"Tried to warn you!" Xellos laughed, Teleporting over to the angry Mew hybrid who was currently trying to rub his tail to make the pain go away. "By the way, you have something on your face."

"Ha ha, nice try Xellos," Ken replied sarcastically, as he made his way to his feet. "There is no _way_ I'm falling for that again!"

"No really," the Abra replied, sounding absolutely serious. "You have something on your face."

"Huh?" Ken asked, eyes widening as he felt a familiar itching sensation. "AW CRAP!"

"Allow me," Xellos said, holding up a mirror that had materialized out of seemingly nowhere.

"Where'd you get that mirror?" Ken asked, staring at the reflective object in the Abra's hands in confusion.

"Ken, this is a _dream,_" Xellos replied with what surely would have been an eye roll were his eyes open. "Logic is completely irrelevant." He stared at Ken for a moment, a sly grin quickly finding its way to his face. "My, my, looks like somebody's going through puberty!"

"For the last time, I AM NOT GOING THROUGH PUBERTY!" Ken shouted, ready to pull out his hair, well fur, in frustration. "Why does everybody keep saying that?" Looking into the mirror that Xellos was holding, Ken practically face palmed when he noticed that he appeared to be growing a moustache. "Oh for crying out loud!"

"Don't be angry, it makes you look distinguished!" Xellos snickered, as Ken's upper lip quickly found itself coated with pink Mew fur.

"At least it's better than it could've been," Ken grumbled, eyeing the unwanted facial hair in the mirror, realizing that he was lucky that it hadn't spread any further. Another bout of annoying itching later, and Ken found himself with a five o' clock shadow. "I think I just jinxed myself…"

Xellos was practically overwhelmed by laughter, holding his sides and doing his best to stay airborne. "Oh Ken, you are _such _a wonderful source of entertainment! I can't _wait _to see what happens to you next!"

"Will you shut up?" Ken snapped, running his hand across his furry face in concern. "This is getting a little out of hand and I don't need you jinxing me, too!"

Unfortunately, Ken realized that he could already feel the annoying itch beginning to climb its way up his arms, giving him a pretty good idea what was happening. Pulling off his shirt, Ken watched helplessly as the pink Mew fur spread from his elbows up to his shoulders, united with the fur on his chest and back, and continued to spread until it stopped right above his waist.

"It just keeps getting worse!" Ken screamed, sitting on the ground and burying his head in his knees. "Why is this happening to me? Why won't it _stop_?"

"Why don't you ask Sabrina?" Xellos offered, Teleporting out of sight.

* * *

Ken shot up in bed, breathing heavily. Reaching a hand into his backpack and pulling out the mirror Chris had given him, he sighed in disappointment as he realized that the dream had been real.

Carefully climbing out of bed so as not to wake his Pokémon, Ken made his way over to Sabrina's sleeping quarters, ripping the door open and preparing to chew her out, only to see her sitting there calmly, as if she had been expecting him.

"Training doesn't begin for another five hours, Ken. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Are you serious?" Ken growled, tail beginning to lash back and forth angrily. "_Look _at me!" he shouted, motioning towards himself dramatically, putting particular emphasis on the Mew fur that seemed to be trying to take over his body.

"I think you look fine," Sabrina replied, not at all startled by his outburst. "Once we finish your Transformation training, I will personally make sure that you won't have to deal with these changes anymore."

"You mean you know what's happening to me?" Ken asked, his eyes glowing with hope.

Sabrina nodded.

"And you can fix it?"

"Of course. It's what you came to me for, isn't it?"

Ken let out a sigh of relief, allowing himself to be calmed by these words promising him that everything would be all right. Thanking Sabrina and promising to finish his Transformation training as soon as possible, Ken went to head back to bed. If he had looked behind him, he would have seen Sabrina make something suspiciously like a smile.

* * *

Author's notes: Well, that's the next chapter! Hope everyone enjoyed it! Anybody figure out Will's significance yet? If not, I won't spoil it! Also, props to anyone who knows where I got the names for Sabrina's Pokémon!

Well, until next time, thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! :)


	45. Chapter 44: Fighting With Myself

Chapter 44: Fighting With Myself

"Don't ask," Ken growled, as he passed his friends the following morning, having recently dealt with his own Pokémon's questioning stares.

Heading to the gyms stadium, Ken stood in front of Sabrina, ready to begin his training, trying his best to ignore the Abra that sat on her right shoulder, grinning at him.

"Since this could take a while, I've decided to call in some of my students," Sabrina explained, motioning towards the multitude of Trainers that had filled the arena.

"Some? This looks like you invited every single one of them!" Ken protested, eyeing the crowd of people rather nervously.

"Correct. Since you only seem to Transform into Pokémon you've never come in contact with, we will need a variety of Pokémon for this exercise."

Ken slowly nodded, letting his gaze wander across the crowd, pausing as he noticed that one particular Trainer was missing. "Hey, where's Will?"

"He has been excused from this activity. Termination of his apprenticeship is pending."

"Termination? You mean you're firing him?" Ken asked, eyes widening in shock.

"Firing him would imply that he actually worked here, and yet, he has never battled any of the Trainers who have come here seeking a badge," Sabrina explained, as Ken recalled that Gym Leaders sometimes liked to have their students test challengers before battling them themselves. "It's a waste of my time trying to teach a student who can't even handle battling an opponent without running off and cowering in a corner." Ken was about to protest, when Sabrina's harsh glare silenced him. "Let's focus on your training, then you can worry about Will. I said termination of his apprenticeship was _pending_, meaning I haven't decided yet. There is still time for him to change my mind, though he'd have to do something pretty impressive at this point."

Ken sighed, realizing that there was no use arguing with Sabrina right now, and readied himself as the first Trainer tossed their Pokeball.

* * *

A couple hours later, and Ken was fairly certain that he had Transformed into every non-Legendary Psychic type Pokémon in Kanto, and even a few that weren't. Still, no success, although he did manage to change into a pink Hypno at one point, causing many of the Gym Trainers to jokingly refer to him as a Shiny Hypno. Ironically, according to the Pokedex, that actually _was _its Shiny coloration.

"This isn't working!" Ken groaned, sinking down to the floor and burying his head in his knees with a sigh.

"It will work," Sabrina said, her expression cold and emotionless. "You just have to try harder."

"I'm trying as hard as I can!" Ken snapped, sweat dripping down his face. "It isn't as easy as it looks!"

"I think you're trying too hard, actually," Chris said, walking over to his friend and offering him a bottle of water, which he gratefully accepted. "I've been looking over that book you got from Bill, and from what I can tell, Mew's Transform move is a defense mechanism."

"Huh?" Ken asked, wiping his mouth and turning his attention to Chris.

"Yeah, see when Mew feels threatened, it will usually Transform into something else to hide its identity from those that would harm it. I'm pretty sure that you stressing out about the whole thing is sending emergency signals to your body. You know, the old fight-or-flight response."

Ken blinked, blue eyes widening. "So, what you're saying is, I'm telling my body to freak out and Transform me into something?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Chris agreed with a laugh.

"And you didn't tell me this sooner because…?"

Chris rubbed the back of his head, looking rather embarrassed. "Sorry, Ken! It didn't really occur to me till now!"

"Thanks Chris," Ken groaned, realizing that he had probably wasted a great deal of effort on something that actually had an easy fix to it.

As the next Trainer released her Pokémon, some kind of yellow thing that looked like a bell, Ken did his best to calm down and relax. Nothing happened.

"You did it Ken!" Chris exclaimed excitedly, as Marik sighed and put away his Pokénav, clearly disappointed at not being able to get any more footage for what he called, "When Transformations Go Wrong!"

"Yes!" Ken cried, jumping into the air, his tail twitching with happiness.

Sabrina's gaze softened as she watched his display of joy, a small smile coming to her face. It had been a very long time since she had felt that kind of happiness from improving her own abilities.

_And to think what I'm doing to him…_ she thought to herself, pain and guilt gripping her heart like it was caught in a vice. _No! I've come too far now! Besides, Master Giovanni will be…wait, Master Giovanni? Aren't I…aren't I supposed to be fighting __**against **__him? Oh God…what have I done?_

"Sabrina?" Ken asked, staring in alarm at the woman who was currently clutching her head as if she were in a great deal of pain. "Sabrina, are you alright?"

"I…I'm sorry!" the woman shouted, teleporting out of the room in a flash of light and leaving Ken to stare in confusion, wondering what was wrong.

* * *

After trying Sabrina's door and finding it locked, Ken was about to head back to his own room and get some rest, when Xellos Teleported in front of him.

"Great job today, Ken!" the Abra praised, clapping his hands. "You've accomplished more today than you are even aware of."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ken asked, eyeing the Abra suspiciously.

"It's a secret," Xellos replied, a familiar grin on his face. "However, I did find something that might—" he began, dozing off mid-sentence, _-be of use to you. _The Abra then reached behind his back and pulled out a small black mask used to cover someone's eyes, like the kind one might use if they were in a play…or trying to be a super hero.

"Do I even want to know what you expect me to do with that?" Ken asked, raising an eyebrow.

_I'm not suggesting that you put on a cape and start calling yourself Mew Man, if that's what you're thinking! _Xellos snickered, a knowing smile on his face. _Besides, this isn't for you, it's for your friend Will. A little something to boost his confidence a bit!_

"Xellos, where did you even get that mask?" Ken asked, wondering if that was something better off left alone.

_Oh, from Pennywise's stash of peculiar items,_ Xellos replied with shrug, as if it were no big deal, then shuddered. _Honestly, that clown scares me…_

"At least that's one thing we can agree on," Ken laughed, taking the mask from Xellos and studying it carefully. "So, you really think this will help Will?"

_My boy, I guarantee it! _Xellos laughed, Teleporting out of sight.

Shrugging, Ken set out to find Will; he had wanted to talk to him about Sabrina potentially firing him, anyway.

* * *

Finding Will's room turned out to be fairly easy, as it was the only room that had the door shut, indicating that the room's occupant was not interested in having company.

"Will?" Ken called, knocking on the door. "Will, its Ken!"

"I know that," Will replied, sounding pretty down, although there was a hint of amusement to his voice. "Who else speaks Mew?"

"Uh…good point," Ken replied, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Can I come in?"

Now it was Will's turn to sound embarrassed. "Um…w-well, I don't know…I mean, my room isn't exactly…"

"Hey, I don't mind if it's a mess!" Ken laughed, waiting outside the door in hope that the other would let him in.

"N-no, it's not that…" Will muttered, glancing around his room nervously.

"Then what's the problem?" Ken asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

Finally giving in, Will sighed and opened the door, allowing Ken to come inside, mouth dropping open as he caught sight of the room's interior.

Loud bright colors stood out from the room's walls, the bright paint having seemingly no sense of order. One corner of the room, clearly designed to serve as closet space, was full of some of the most unusual outfits that Ken had ever seen. The walls were covered with sheets of paper stuck on with thumbtacks, most of them depicting sketches for clothing or room designs, although some were pictures of Pokémon. A lava lamp sat bubbling on top of a dresser, overlooking a large tie-die beanbag chair. Will stood silently as Ken took all of this in, looking rather embarrassed.

"Please don't tell Sabrina," he said, eyes hidden beneath his purple bangs. "She'd be furious if she found out that I painted the room without asking."

But Ken barely heard him, instead turning his attention to the many outfits lining the far wall. "You made these?"

"W-well, um, yes. It's…sort of a hobby…" Will replied, face turning bright red. "I make sketches, and then I bring my visions to life."

Ken nodded, turning to the many drawings tacked to the walls. He picked up one at random, this one depicting a room with a long walkway lined with what appeared to be Dratini statues.

"Theme rooms," Will explained, taking the sketch from Ken and carefully smoothing it out. "I just thought…well, never mind…"

"What?" Ken asked, turning his attention to Will, making the other flinch. "Come on, you can tell me."

Will fidgeted nervously for a moment before sighing and taking a deep breath. "You know all those rooms at Gyms and the Pokémon League? Well, I've been thinking that they're pretty boring, you know? So I thought, why not design them to match the Gym Leader or Elite Four member's specialty type? That would make things more interesting, I think!"

"But…some gyms do that already, don't they?"

"Sort of…but what I had in mind is a bit different." Reaching up and pulling off a drawing from the wall, he proceeded to explain. "See the floral clock? You can walk on its hands. Ideally, if the Gym Leader wanted to test challengers first, they could have Trainers stationed here, here, and here, then after beating them, the clock would turn, allowing the challenger to have access to the next Trainer, and, eventually, the Gym Leader!" Will explained, excitement visible on his face. Then he sighed and frowned. "I know, it's a stupid idea, isn't it?"

"No, I think it sounds really cool!" Ken said happily, causing Will to look up in surprise. "This could completely revolutionize how gyms are set up! Have you talked to Sabrina about this?"

Will shook his head. "She'd just laugh at me anyway…"

"And what if she didn't?" Ken asked, causing the other to look up in surprise. "You have some really cool ideas Will, you really do! Your biggest problem is, you don't know how to loosen up and let people see the real you!"

"The real me?" Will repeated, a confused frown on his face. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, I think there's a side of yourself you're not showing people. Hey, you even said that when you put that paper bag over your head you became a completely different person!"

"Yes Ken, but I can't just put a paper bag over my head all the time, now can I?" Will pointed out, sighing heavily.

"Maybe not, but how about something better?" Ken asked, pulling out the mask Xellos had given him earlier.

"A mask?" Will asked, clearly confused. "But, wont I look like a complete fool if I wear this?"

"Hey, if it makes you feel better, you shouldn't care what other people think," Ken assured his friend, placing the mask in Will's hands.

Will stared at the item thoughtfully for a moment, then proceeded to put it on.

"Well?" he asked, once he had gotten it positioned securely on his face. "How do I look?"

"Actually, not bad," Ken replied, causing Will to smile broadly.

A knock on the door brought the two out of their thoughts.

"Who is it?" Will called, having a sinking feeling that he knew what it was about.

"Sabrina gave me instructions to have you tested to see whether you belong here or not," came the response, causing Will's heart to sink. "I'm sorry Will, I know how hard you worked to get here."

"I understand," Will said, placing his sketch of the floral clock on his bed with a sigh. "I'll be right there." He turned to Ken, a sorrowful expression on his face. "They do this kind of thing sometimes to see if you're good enough. I'll have to battle another Gym Trainer, and if I fail, I'll be kicked out of the gym for good." Slowly, a sad smile found its way to his lips. "Thanks for all your help, Ken. I'm glad that someone thinks that I have potential…"

"You do!" Ken insisted, eyes glowing with determination. "Remember, this is the beginning of a brand new you," he said, motioning towards the mask on his friends' face. "Show 'em what you got!"

Will nodded, and headed out the door towards the gym's stadium.

* * *

"_Clyde?_" Ken asked when he got to the gym's battle arena, spotting the familiar gym guide.

"Yes?" Clyde asked, a confused frown on his face. "Have we met?"

"You're darn right we met!" Ken growled, tail lashing back and forth angrily. "You gave me the ugliest pair of swimming trunks I've ever seen in my life and threw me in the pool!"

"Oh, you must be talking about my cousin stationed in Cerulean City!" Clyde said, eyes lighting up in understanding. "Sorry about that, he always did love a good laugh!"

"Let me guess," Ken sighed, "there are many Clyde the Gym Guide's just like there are many Nurse Joy's and Officer Jenny's?"

"Yep, sure are!" Clyde laughed, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Why are there so many identical looking people around here?" Ken groaned, tail twitching in annoyance. "That doesn't even make any sense! Is there anyone else I need to know about?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that all the Poké Mart guys are related, and I think there are a bunch of guys named Don George in some place called Unova," Clyde said, causing the Mew hybrid to facepalm.

"Some things are just better off left alone," Marik remarked with a shrug. "They've got Joy's, Jenny's, and Clyde's in Hoenn, too. It's nothing to get worked up about."

Shrugging and shaking his head, Ken joined Marik and Chris on the sidelines, ready to cheer on Will in his upcoming battle.

Will's opponent turned out to be some muscle bound buff dude who looked like he'd be more at home at the Fighting Dojo, making Ken a little nervous. Will, on the other hand, seemed to be perfectly calm, no trace of his former insecurities.

"What's with the mask?" the teen taunted, tossing a Pokeball up and down in his hand. "You getting ready to rob a bank or something?"

"What's with the muscle shirt?" Will replied, an amused smile on his face. "You expecting to be doing some heavy lifting? In case you weren't aware, the Fighting Dojo is _next door_!"

Several of the Gym Trainer's laughed, causing the guy's face to turn beat red. "Watch it, wimp! Sabrina's tired of your attitude, and I'm here to make sure you don't waste her time!"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Will replied, still with a huge smile on his face. "So, let's not waste time, ok?" he chuckled, pulling out a Pokeball.

"Now you're talkin'! Go, Pokey!" the Trainer called, tossing a Pokeball, which opened to reveal a Slowpoke.

Will blinked. "That's really the best you could come up with?"

"Huh? What's wrong with the name Pokey?"

"Oh, nothing!" Will quickly replied, though it was clear that he was trying not to laugh. "Go, Elizabeth!" The Pokeball hit the floor, bounced once, then burst open to reveal Will's Natu.

"A bird?" the Trainer asked, blinking in confusion before he burst out laughing. "You honestly expect to be able to win with that puny thing? Ha! That pipsqueak's a joke, just like you are!"

Ken was about to step in, only to feel a hand being placed on his shoulder. Looking behind him, he saw that Clyde had a smile on his face.

"Relax kid, I think you're buddy's got this under control."

Ken blinked and looked to where Will was standing. The purple haired teen had a confident smile on his face, his Pokémon looking equally calm and collected. Ken nodded and sat back down, having the feeling that it was going to be a short battle.

"Ice Beam!" the Trainer called out, his Slowpoke shooting a frigid blast from its mouth.

"Psychic!" Will responded, not looking the least bit worried about the super effective move that was flying in his Pokémon's direction.

The tiny bird began to glow with a blue light, and then, time just…stopped.

"What in the…?" the Trainer muttered, staring in shock and disbelief at the beam of energy that hung suspended in midair, having been stopped in its tracks.

Will grinned. "Return to sender!"

Elizabeth's body glowed brightly, before the icy beam suddenly resumed movement, spinning around and nailing the Slowpoke in the forehead, causing it to let out a startled cry and tumble onto its back. Shaking it off, the Pokémon made its way to its feet, the attack not having had much effect. Still, the move had been enough to make its Trainer think twice about the battle being so easy.

"Water Gun!"

"Confuse Ray!"

Before the Slowpoke could even react, the Natu had already released an odd pink glowing orb. Pokey tried to dodge it, but being a Slowpoke, wasn't nearly fast enough. The pink orb spun around Pokey's head, making him feel slightly dizzy, then impacted, sending him tottering dazedly around the gym as if he didn't know what was what.

"Snap out of it, Pokey!" the Trainer growled, watching helplessly as his Pokémon continued to stumble unsteadily around the arena.

"Psychic quick, before it recovers!"

Elizabeth once again began to glow with a bright blue light. Putting her wings together, the Slowpoke became outlined in a similar light, then was lifted into the air, its legs peddling the ground furiously, and hurled into the nearest wall.

"Pokey!" the teen cried, rushing over to find his Slowpoke down, but not out. Pokey shook himself off, having recovered from the effects of Confuse Ray, and stood ready for battle. The Trainer patted his Pokémon's side, then shot a nasty glare at Will. "When did you get to be such a competent battler? Huh? What happened to the wimp who would start whimpering whenever anyone wanted to battle him?"

"Well," Will replied, a thoughtful look on his face and quick sideways glance at Ken, "a friend of mine told me that I shouldn't care what people think." He took a deep breath, determination burning in his bright blue eyes. "Sabrina was right, I can't be a good Trainer if I don't have the confidence to give my Pokémon the support they need in battle. I…I don't wanna be that guy anymore!" Will shouted, wisps of psychic energy beginning to dance around his body. "I'm tired of hiding! I'm ready to be the kind of Trainer I always wanted to be!"

"Will…" Elizabeth whispered, her eyes overflowing with emotion. "Will…I believe in you!"

Will turned towards the tiny bird, who hopped onto his outstretched arm, and began to stroke her feathers. "Then let's do it, Elizabeth! Together!"

The tiny Natu chirped with pleasure, a sparkling energy beginning to be absorbed into her body.

"If you think we're going to give up that easily, you're crazy!" the Trainer shouted, his Pokémon giving a cry of agreement. "Pokey! Use Blizzard!"

"Solar Beam!"

A huge explosion erupted from the gym stadium as the rush of freezing wind collided with the powerful beam, producing a cloud of smoke in its wake and knocking the bystanders off their feet. As the smoke cleared, Pokey lay on his side, a dazed expression on his face, Elizabeth tiredly finding her way to her feet. Will let out a groan, then quickly rushed to retrieve his mask, which had somehow gotten blown off in the resulting explosion. Seeing this, the other teen promptly made a grab for it, only to be lifted into the air by a wave of psychic energy.

"No one touches my mask," Will said quietly, one hand glowing with psychic energy as the other hand rushed to secure the mask on his face. "_Ever._" Lowering his hand, the teen toppled to the floor, mouth wide open in shock. Calmly, Will recalled Elizabeth to her Pokeball and left the stadium.

_And thus a legend is born,_ Xellos chuckled from the sidelines, an amused smile on his face. _Will my boy, you're going to go far!_ And with that, the Abra Teleported out of sight.

* * *

Back in her room, Sabrina was tossing and turning on her bed, her thoughts muddled and confused.

_But, if I don't complete this mission, Master Giovanni will be furious! No! I'm supposed to be fighting __**against**__ Giovanni! The Mew Boy is looking more like a Pokémon every day. Now is the perfect time to—No! Lt. Surge is counting on me to help him! The reward for turning in the Mew Boy would surely be great…_ _No! What am I thinking?_

The woman clutched her head, random items around the room beginning to float. A soft giggling broke her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see a little girl in a white dress standing at the edge of her bed, her eyes glowing a bright red, her long green hair beginning to writhe like snakes.

"Hi Sis!" the little girl giggled, her voice echoing eerily inside Sabrina's head. "Wanna play with me?"

"Get out!" Sabrina screeched, her voice coming out rough and hoarse. "I told you I never wanted to see you again!"

"But you need me," the little girl laughed, beginning to float into the air, her eyes glowing like fire. "Just let me help you…"

"I don't need your help, now go away!" Sabrina screamed, a lamp flying across the room towards the little girl, only to smash against the wall as she moved out of the way, the light bulb shattering into a million pieces.

"Come on, Sis," the little girl coaxed, an eerie smile on her face. "You know that we can't fix what we've done unless we're together!"

"You're not a part of me anymore!" Sabrina shouted, flinging various items at her other self, none of them hitting their mark. "No emotion! No distractions! I've come too far now to give up!"

"You don't understand, do you Sis?" the little girl asked, her hair waving behind her like tentacles of darkness. "If you keep us separated, we'll never be able to achieve our full potential! We'll always be incomplete." The room vanished, revealing a black nothingness where hundreds of dolls floated in the abyss, their soulless black eyes staring vacantly. "Let's become one again!"

"NEVER!" Sabrina screamed, the area around her beginning to swim and distort. A pain shot through her head, causing her to cry out in agony. The little girl also winced.

"Don't you get it, Sis? If you keep us split apart, we're gonna go, um…what did Daddy call it? Oh yeah, psycho! Daddy says our mind's split in two, and if we don't do something about it, it's gonna collapse! Just like that funny Mew Boy!"

"Ken…" Sabrina breathed, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Yep! Daddy says that he's gonna go nuts someday if he doesn't learn to reunite the different parts of his mind! Don't worry though! Daddy says he's nowhere _near _the danger zone yet, and if we give him some time, there's a good chance he'll work it out on his own!"

Sabrina turned towards her other half, feeling as if she couldn't breathe. "Daddy…?"

The little girl nodded. "Yep, Daddy! You haven't talked to Daddy in long time, have you Sis? He says he misses you, and he's really worried about your health!"

"D…addy…" Sabrina moaned, lying on her back and feeling as if something was trying to smother her, cut off all of her available oxygen.

The little girl nodded again. "Yep! And Mommy's been worried too! She says she doesn't like the doll house much, but I think she's just lonely! Right Mommy?"

A doll house materialized in front of Sabrina, the front opening up to reveal a doll that looked suspiciously like her mother, her eyes pleading for someone to help her.

"NO!" Sabrina shouted, shooting up in bed, the distorted scenery around her shattering like glass. "NO, I WONT LET YOU TAKE OVER MY LIFE!"

A knock at the door caused Sabrina to pause and turn, her eyes glowing a bright red, ready to blast anyone who came too close to kingdom come.

"Sabrina? Sabrina, its Ken! I heard a scream, is everything alright?"

Ken. The Mew Boy. The very individual who caused this internal conflict within her psyche. Why? Why couldn't she just turn him in to the boss like she was supposed to? Sabrina clenched her fists, her body becoming bathed in an unnatural red glow. Slowly, slowly, the lock on the door began to click open by itself…

_Ken, don't open that door! _Xellos screamed, Teleporting immediately to the Mew hybrid's side.

"Mr. Mew Boy, don't do it!" Sabrina's younger self screamed frantically.

Slowly, the door opened, and Ken stood staring at the sight of Sabrina and the little girl, before Sabrina launched some sort of psychic blast at him, and everything went black…

* * *

Author's notes: Dun dun duuuun! Will Ken survive Sabrina's psychic blast? Will Sabrina manage to pull herself together? Will I stop talking like the announcer of a TV show? Find out next time in the next chapter of New Species! *dramatic music plays*

Chris: Uh…don't you think that you're being a little overly dramatic?

Marik: And when am I going to get more screen time? The fans LOVE ME! *cricket noises can be heard* Ok…well, maybe they _would_ if you'd give me more screen time! I had _one line _in this entire chapter!

Me: Ok, ok, I see your point! Don't worry Marik, you'll get your turn, I promise. Just try to be patient, ok?

Marik: *crosses arms and huffs loudly*

Anyway, congratulations to Mew Sui for being the first to correctly identify where I got the names for Sabrina's Pokémon! Honestly, I figured that people would have trouble with Xellos (yes, the X is pronounced like a Z, in case anyone was wondering). Also, congratulations to James95 for being the first to figure out Will's significance. Yes, in approximately three years, he will be accepted into the Pokémon League's Elite Four.

Well, that's it for now. I'm sure you're all going to be a bit irritated that I left it at a cliff hanger, but as they say, good things come to those who wait! :)

Thanks for reading and reviewing everybody! You are awesome! :)


	46. Chapter 45: Dude Looks Like a Mew

Chapter 45: Dude Looks Like a Mew

Ken awoke to find his head pounding, his vision blurry and out of focus.

"Oh Ken…Ken, I'm so, so sorry…"

The voice sounded familiar, yet he couldn't quite place the speaker. He struggled to get up, but was met with a wave of pain, forcing him to lie still.

Slowly, his vision began to focus, allowing him to make out the form of the Saffron Gym Leader standing over him. But there was something different about her; she seemed so…sad. Then his gaze fell on the little girl in white next to Sabrina, making him flinch and attempt to back away, only to be met with another wave of pain.

"Shh…relax, she won't hurt you," Sabrina assured him, reaching up and running her fingers lightly through his hair. After a couple seconds, she pulled away, glancing at the little girl at her side, a look of guilt on her face. "I'm the one who you should be afraid of."

"Wha…?" Ken tried to speak, but found that his voice wasn't cooperating. His whole body felt weak, like he'd gotten run over by a truck.

"You see Ken, I've been lying to you this whole time," Sabrina explained, not meeting his gaze. "I've known for a while now why you've been turning into a Mew, and I've been doing my best—to make it worse."

Ken's eyes widened as he heard this, and he tried once again to sit up, only to be held down by Sabrina.

"You see Ken," Sabrina continued, once she was sure he wasn't going to try to get up again, "when a Pokémon uses the move Transform, it first has to reorganize its cellular structure to match that of its intended target. Meaning, that it has to reorganize and recombine its DNA. That is why only Ditto and Mew are capable of doing such a thing—because Ditto has a flexible genetic code able to effortlessly copy its opponents DNA, and Mew has the DNA of all existing Pokémon within its body. No other Pokémon could hope to complete the Transformation process without coming out horribly deformed." She shook her head sadly, tears running down her cheeks. "Humans were never meant to be able to do that, Ken. Every time you used Transform, something you were never meant to do, given your mostly human body structure, your DNA rearranged itself. So, your body did the only thing it could do to deal with this anomaly—it reconfigured your DNA to be more similar to a Mew so that you would be able to come back from the Transformation unharmed. It's your body's way of coping."

Ken stared at Sabrina in shock, unable to believe what he was hearing. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, but the pain that was coursing through his body rendered him unable to. It didn't seem to matter anyway, as Sabrina had a pretty good idea of what was on his mind.

"Yes Ken, every time you Transformed, you came back more Mew and less human. The truth is Ken, if you had never started encountering Pokémon and never learned that you could Transform, you may have been able to live a relatively normal human life. But the moment you met your first Pokémon and subjected your body to things it was never meant to do, you sealed your fate."

Ken stared at Sabrina in disbelief. _So the moment I started my journey I was doomed? All those uncontrolled Transformations have been the cause of this? But wait! If Sabrina knew about that all along, then…_

Sabrina nodded, her eyes full of sadness. "Yes, I knew. I knew that training you to use Transform would only make your condition worse, just as I knew that I was training you in the completely wrong way. It actually annoyed me that your friend figured out the correct method so soon."

_Chris…_ Ken thought, glad to have such a smart person for a friend. Still, Sabrina's motives bothered and confused him. He'd thought that Lt. Surge had said she was one of the good Gym Leaders, a double agent, like him. And if she _was _one of the Gym Leaders working for Team Rocket, then why was she apologizing to him like this?

Sabrina looked ashamed. "I _was_ a double agent, I mean, I still am, I just…" She sighed, trying to collect her thoughts. "I have had psychic powers ever since I was a little girl. It started when a spoon I carelessly tossed bent. From then on, I became obsessed with developing my psychic abilities. It was all I could think about…" Sabrina looked down at the little girl by her side, the two of them sharing a painful glance, as if reliving memories better off not remembered, before the Gym Leader continued. "Eventually, I became completely consumed by the desire to improve my psychic powers. I locked all of my emotions away deep inside my heart, deeming them to be pointless distractions. I thought that by keeping my emotions at bay, I'd have better control over my psychic powers. I couldn't have been more wrong. Soon, the part of me that I was keeping locked away began to develop into an actual entity—an alternate personality of sorts. This wouldn't have been so bad had it not caused me to push that part of me further and further into the shadows. My mind began to split even more, resulting in the creation of two separate individuals: a cold, emotionless woman who thought of nothing more than improving her psychic powers, and a little girl who just wanted to have fun."

_That sounds just like me and Mew Ken! _Ken realized, eyes widening in shock. _But, I can __**see**__ the little girl! So can my friends! She's __**real**__, not just a part of Sabrina's mind!_

As if hearing Ken's unspoken thoughts, Sabrina continued. "My psychic powers continued to grow more powerful, allowing me to do things that other psychics could only dream of: telekinesis, teleportation, transmutation, and much more. It is likely that this increase in power is what ultimately led to my other half being able to physically manifest herself." Sabrina paused, a look of absolute sadness on her face. "It's also when things started to go terribly, horribly wrong. As a side effect of the split, my mind and personality began to twist and warp; my older self became increasing cold and emotionless, while my younger half's games grew more and more out of control, even going so far as to turn my mother into a doll."

Ken's ears perked up with interest as he heard this, recalling his encounter with Sabrina's mother in his dream and Xellos telling him that the little girl had done it to protect her. Sabrina nodded, as if sensing this.

"Yes, I know she didn't mean any harm, but things were getting out of hand. Still, I refused to recognize the warning signs, pushing myself harder and harder towards perfecting my psychic abilities. It was then that I began to forget that I wasn't _really_ working for Team Rocket, my mind becoming muddled, my thoughts clouded. All I sought at that point was power, it was all I could think about. Surely helping their boss achieve his goal of finding Mew, one of the most powerful Psychic Pokémon in the world, would allow me to achieve this goal." Sabrina shook her head sadly, averting her gaze and staring down at the floor. "I'm sorry Ken, I never should have got you into this."

"I'm sorry too, Ken," the little girl whispered, her eyes hidden beneath the brim of her hat. "I never meant for you to get hurt…"

"It's ok," Ken managed to say, though his head hurt quite a bit. "I'm a Psychic type, remember? That means I should recover from this quickly."

Sabrina's two halves looked up in surprise, a sad smile coming to their faces.

"It's…its more than that Ken," the older Sabrina explained, her expression riddled with guilt. "Do you recall what I said earlier? About Transform being the reason you're turning into a Mew?"

"Yeah," Ken replied with a nod, not sure what Sabrina was getting at. "So I just quit using it. What's the problem?"

Sabrina sighed; breaking this to him was going to be harder than she'd thought. "Do you recall how many Pokémon I had you Transform into yesterday?"

Ken's eyes widened as the realization sank in, knowing that it had been a large number of Pokémon. Which could only mean…

"I changed again, didn't I?" Ken asked, already knowing that he wasn't going to like the answer.

Sabrina nodded. "I'm sorry Ken. I really am."

Ken took a deep breath, trying to let this information sink in without totally freaking out. "Ok. How much?" As Sabrina bit her lip, Ken had a feeling he knew what the answer was. "A lot, huh?" Sabrina nodded. "I wanna see," Ken said, pushing himself up into a sitting position, ignoring the pain that shot through his body as he did so.

"Ken, now really isn't the best time," Sabrina tried to explain, though it was clear that she was having trouble looking him in the eye. "You need to rest—"

"I said, let me see!" Ken growled, ears laying back, his tail lashing back and forth as he let out a hiss.

Sabrina sighed, then reached over and pulled the hand mirror out of his backpack. "Remember Ken, it really is a lot better than it could have been!"

With trembling hands, Ken slowly reached out and took the mirror from Sabrina, promising himself to keep her words in mind. That resolve went out the window as soon as he caught sight of his reflection.

He was covered, as far as he could tell, in fine pink Mew fur, although it grew longer where his human hair used to be, maintaining his hairline. He was fairly certain that it had now covered his entire body, though with his clothes, he couldn't be sure. Honestly, he didn't _want _to know. His eyes were unnaturally large and blue, now resembling a Mew's far more than a human's. His fangs had grown larger, and his remaining teeth had also sharpened, giving them an overall more feline appearance. He sat there staring at his reflection in shock for what felt like a long time, his body shaking, too freaked out to even scream.

"I'm so sorry Ken!" Sabrina cried, wrapping the Mew hybrid in a tight hug, tears streaming down her face. "This is all my fault!"

"No," Ken said, as he finally allowed the reality of the situation to sink in. "Pokémon are everywhere. I was bound to run into one eventually. This…it was going to happen anyway." He sighed, casting a quick glance at the discarded mirror on the bedside before turning away. "And I'm going to end up doing it again at some point," Ken realized, as he allowed himself to rest his head on Sabrina's shoulder, seeking comfort. "Like Chris said, it's a defense mechanism."

Sabrina looked thoughtful for a moment, as if an idea was forming. "You know," she said after a moment, a hopeful look on her face, "Transform is just a move, like any other technique a Pokémon can learn. There might be a way to get rid of it."

"Get rid of it?" Ken asked, his ears perking up. "How?"

"Well, one way would be to learn new moves, since a Pokémon can only know four moves at a time. How many moves do you know right now?"

"Um…two, I think, wait! It might be three! Didn't I learn Psychic?"

"'Fraid not," Xellos said, Teleporting onto Sabrina's shoulder. "Honestly, I'm glad you didn't. If you had, we'd all be—" _–doomed, _Xellos chuckled, body slumping slightly as he dozed off again. _You see, a Psychic type Pokémon can still utilize some psychic powers even if it doesn't __**actually**__ know the move Psychic, just like a Pikachu that doesn't know Thunderbolt is by no means a guarantee that you aren't going to get shocked. The power to do such things, in many cases, comes from the Pokémon's abilities themselves. For example, Electric type Pokémon are naturally able to produce electricity. Moves like Thundershock, Thunderbolt, and Thunder simply give them the means to focus this energy, thereby making it that much more powerful. A Psychic type can still manipulate psychic energy without knowing Psychic, it just won't be as strong. In some cases, such as that of Legendary Pokémon, this is actually a __**good **__thing; their powers are strong enough that, if they were to use the move itself, it could possibly be overkill. _Xellos paused, a shudder running down his spine. _For everyone's sake, I'm glad that you didn't __**actually **__learn Psychic. I can only imagine how much damage you would cause! _

"As much as I wish Xellos had been a bit gentler with his explanation, that analysis _is _accurate," Sabrina admitted, looking a bit irritated at the Abra's interruption. Xellos just snickered and Teleported to the other end of the room, a huge grin on his face. "This means, that you _still _only know two moves currently, meaning that, were you to replace Transform, it could take a while. I can think of another alternative, but honestly, I don't even know for sure if you'd be _able _to forget it. Some Pokémon moves are necessary for a Pokémon's survival, and thus, the Pokémon will be unable to forget the move, no matter how hard it tries. This phenomenon is occasionally witnessed even in human trained Pokémon, where the Pokémon will be unable to forget certain kinds of moves that may be able to help the Trainer out in dire situations."

"So, I might be stuck knowing Transform _forever_?" Ken asked, a chill running down his spine.

Sabrina frowned. "I can't say for certain, however, there is one man you might be able to ask. He is the—"

"I told you already, I _know _Ken!" Marik's voice shouted from the other side of the bedroom door, sounding very irritated. "Look, just let me take him some of these Pink Pokéblocks I made, I'm sure they'll make him feel better!"

Ken let out a chuckle at this; it was just like Marik to try to make him feel better with his art of Pokéblock making.

"Do you wish to see them?" Sabrina asked, a look of amusement on her face, as her younger self appeared to be trying very hard not to laugh.

Ken sighed. "I don't know. Do they know what happened? I mean…do they know that I changed again?"

Sabrina shook her head. "I figured you'd want to tell them yourself."

Ken sighed, having figured as much.

"Hey! Let go of that! No one has the right to touch me there!" Marik shouted from the other room, making Ken seriously question whether he really wanted to know what was going on or not.

"One of my students just grabbed your friend by his antenna," Sabrina explained, clearly noticing Ken's alarmed and confused expression. "He's simply overreacting."

"After a barber almost cut his antenna off when he was a kid, I'm honestly not surprised," Ken sighed, although he did wish that Marik had phrased it a little better. Suddenly, his eyes widened, as he recalled what happened to him and Chris when he had made the stupid mistake of grabbing onto the Manaphy hybrid's antenna. "Sabrina, unless your student wants to be Heart Swapped, I'd suggest you tell them to let go." A flash of light followed by a cry of surprise served to confirm Ken's suspicions.

"Sometimes the greatest life lessons must be learned the hard way," Sabrina chuckled, causing Ken to smile as well.

"Ok, these psychics need to learn some manners! That really hurt!" Marik exclaimed, as he forced his way into the room, rubbing his antenna, followed by an apologetic looking Chris. "You don't see me trying to rip off their arms or…" he paused, staring in shock and disbelief at the now very furry Ken who lay in the bed.

Ken felt his tail coil defensively around his body before he pulled the blankets up over his head, deciding that maybe he wasn't ready to see his friends after all.

"Ken," Chris sighed, as he approached the bed, shooting an annoyed glare at Marik, who shrugged helplessly before joining in the coaxing. "It really isn't that bad, you know."

"Yeah, I mean it could be worse, right?" Marik added. "At least you still look human! You're just…you know…furry!"

"Not really helping," Chris groaned, as the Mew hybrid still refused to respond.

"Ken," Sora said, as she jumped onto the bed, a concerned look on her face, "it doesn't matter to me what you look like. I'm just glad that you're ok!"

"Zoey thought Creepy Psychic Lady killed you!" the little Clefairy cried, jumping onto Ken and hugging him through the blanket, though Ken was pretty sure that that wasn't exactly helping Sabrina's guilt any.

Slowly, Ken pulled the covers off of him, only to find the smiling face of Zoey inches from his own.

"Wha! Zoey! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Ken sputtered, tumbling out of bed and landing on the floor in a heap.

"Zoey is sorry," the little Clefairy whimpered, staring down at her hands and looking extremely apologetic.

"It's ok, Zoey," Ken sighed, pushing himself into a sitting position and patting the little Pokémon on the head. "Just…give me some fair warning next time, ok?"

Zoey nodded enthusiastically before jumping into Ken's arms and giving him a gigantic hug, Sora extending her vines in order to do the same.

They sat like that for quite a while before Marik finally decided to speak up.

"So…guess you'd better start using Pokémon shampoo, huh Ken?"

Ken turned towards the Manaphy hybrid, his ears lying flat, his lips pulling back as he let out an angry hiss. Every hair on his body seemed to bristle and stand on end as it reacted towards his anger, his back arching and his tail fluffing out to double its normal size. A low growl escaped his throat, like a cat that had had its buttons pushed one too many times.

"C-calm down, Ken!" Marik sputtered, holding his hands up defensively as he took a cautious step back. "I was just pointing out that human shampoo is bad for Pokémon, and you're not s-supposed to use soap on fur!"

"He's only trying to help Ken!" Chris assured the angry Mew hybrid.

"Yeah!" Marik chimed in, as he quickly made sure to position himself so that Chris stood between him and Ken.

"Even if he does say some pretty stupid things sometimes!" Chris added with a laugh.

"Yeah! Hey, wait a minute, that's not nice!" Marik cried, as what Chris had said fully sank in.

The anger in Ken's eyes quickly evaporated to be replaced with amusement, and soon he was caught in a bout of high-pitched Mew laughter, his friends letting out sighs of relief.

"Thanks guys," he said, once he was finally able to stop laughing. "I needed that."

Making his way to his feet, Ken took a seat on the foot of the bed, an awkward silence falling over the room.

"So, as I was saying earlier," Sabrina interjected, once she realized that no one was going to say anything, "there's a man who lives in Fuchsia called the Move Deleter, who specializes in helping Pokémon forget their moves. His services are free, although some think it might be because he forgets to charge his customers afterwards," Sabrina admitted with a sigh, causing the three friends to exchange glances. "Still, he is good at what he does, and he might be able to help you forget the move Transform."

"Why would you want to do _that?_" Marik asked, clearly not understanding. "A Mew without Transform is like a Manaphy without Heart Swap!"

"Speaking of, didn't you Heart Swap a couple of my students earlier?" Sabrina asked, her eyes narrowing, causing the Manaphy hybrid to fall silent.

"According to Sabrina, Transform is what's causing me to turn into a Mew," Ken explained bitterly, his friend's eyes widening in shock. "I'd be glad to be rid of it."

"Well, the Move Deleter lives in Fuchsia City," Sabrina explained, as attention turned once again to her. "The main ways to get to Fuchsia are to travel across Silence Bridge south of Lavender Town—"

"NO!" Marik suddenly shouted, causing all eyes to turn in his direction. "Uh…I mean, that sounds like a pretty long walk," Marik laughed, right hand fiddling with one of his antenna in an action that Chris suspected might be a nervous habit. "What's the other option?"

"Or by traveling through Celadon City and down—"

"Yes! That makes much more sense to me!" Marik exclaimed, his expression immediately brightening. "Celadon is home of the biggest store in all of Kanto! Everybody's heard of it! We should, you know, stock up on supplies, don't you think Chris? It would be stupid of us not to go!"

Chris frowned. While what Marik said _did _make sense, he couldn't help but feel that something was wrong here. He wasn't very familiar with Kanto's geography, but he was pretty sure he had heard that Silence Bridge was a premium fishing spot in Kanto. Why would a Water type enthusiast like Marik want to pass up on something like that?

"That sounds good," Ken muttered, before Chris had time to consider it further. "I'm pretty sure the last time we stocked up on supplies was back in Cerulean, and it would be nice to see what they have available."

"Yeah! Maybe some of that hot berry-mix! We haven't had any of that in forever!" Sora laughed, causing Ken to nod in agreement.

"So, when do we head out?" Marik asked, looking eager to get on the road again.

Ken's face fell, and he turned his attention to the mirror that still lay discarded on the bed, before shoving it into his backpack. "Not yet. I…I think I need some time to myself first…" he muttered, barely looking his friends in the eye.

"But-!" Marik went to protest, only to be grabbed by the shirt collar and dragged out of the room by Chris, Sora and Zoey following close behind.

As she turned to leave, Sabrina cast one last glance at Ken, her expression solemn. "I understand that you need time to process this, but please, don't give up. You have friends who care about you, you know? Don't shut yourself off from society just because of this. Half Pokémon also means half human. Maybe not all, but part. In the end, nothing is going to change that, certainly not how you look." And with that, she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

* * *

About an hour later Ken lay on his bed lost in thought. He had considered digging the mirror out of his bag a few times already, but had ultimately decided against it, not ready to confront his altered appearance, or deal with Mew Ken.

With a sigh, Ken proceeded to curl himself into a tight ball, trying his best to pretend that the whole thing was just a dream.

_If only…_ he thought to himself, tail coiling around his body as he allowed his eyes to close.

"I'm a Barbie girl! In a Barbie world! Wrapped in plastic! It's fantastic!"

"Ahhhh!" Ken shouted, shooting up in bed and glancing around frantically for the source of the music, groaning as he realized what it was. "Zoey! Next time you decide to pick my Pokégear's ring tone, can you make it something less embarrassing?"

"But Zoey loves that song!" the little Clefairy called from the other room, causing Ken to shake his head.

Pulling the Pokégear out of his backpack, Ken was met with the familiar name of Bill from the Caller ID.

"Hello? Bill?"

"Ken! It's good to hear from you!" came the sound of the man's voice from the other end, causing Ken to smile, happy to hear from him after so long. "Anyway, I've been doing some research, and I've found out some very important information! First of all, and you're gonna hate this, the reason you're changing is because—"

"Because my DNA has been recombining itself every time I use Transform," Ken interrupted, leaving the Pokémaniac in stunned silence. "I already know."

"Oh…sorry Ken, I tried to gather the information as quickly as possible, but there were a lot of possibilities to rule out. By the way, I got the results back for the hair and fur samples, and it's actually quite interesting!"

"What is it?" Ken asked, ears perking up in interest.

"Well, genetically speaking, the samples are nearly identical. The only difference is, naturally, the ratio of human to Pokémon gene distribution. Now, here is where it gets…strange. The fur sample I got from your tail is about ninety percent Pokémon and ten percent human."

"WHAT?!" Ken demanded, nearly dropping the Pokégear.

"Calm down Ken, let me finish! Anyway, yeah, as in there really isn't much separating it from the tail of a regular Pokémon. It's practically a completely normal Mew tail in every way! You're hair on the other hand, looks to be about fifty-fifty, an exactly even split between human and Pokémon, which is more consistent with what I would expect from someone with one human parent and one Pokémon parent. Now here's the strange part, and I don't think you're going to like this, but, it looks your Pokémon cells are attacking your human cells, replacing them completely in some cases. It's mainly this phenomenon that took me so long getting back to you."

"So, it's doing that because I've used Transform so many times, or what?" Ken asked, feeling a lump beginning to form in this throat.

"I don't know Ken, it's hard to tell. As it is, I have three theories. One, this is just a sign of you using Transform, and I'm witnessing its effects on your DNA first hand; two, this process was triggered by you using Transform the first time, spurring your cells to undergo some sort of mutation; or three, this attack on your human cells by your Pokémon cells has always been happening, it's just been happening too slowly to see until you started Transforming."

"Why me?" Ken demanded, clenching the Pokégear so tightly he thought it might break. "Chris and Marik are part Pokémon, too, so why isn't this happening to them?"

"A couple of reasons, actually," Bill replied, once again switching into scientist mode. "First of all, Transform is a move unique to Mew and Ditto, and its having on odd effect on your—"

"Ok, so I can Transform and they can't, I get that, but there's gotta be more to it than that! They're half Pokémon, too!"

"Actually, from what I've heard about your friend Marik, he's actually closer to a human genetically than to a Pokémon. If he was born human to human parents then had Manaphy use Heart Swap on him _afterwards_, this makes him less of a hybrid and more of a, oh, what did you call it? Pokémorph? Anyway, regardless, both of his parents are human. There's absolutely no relation to Manaphy at all."

Ken sighed, realizing that this was true. "Wait, how do you know about this?"

"Well, I have spoken to Chris a couple times, and when I heard about your friend Marik, I asked for his Pokénav number," Bill explained, as if it were obvious. "Anyway, from what he tells me, he was a normal human once, although he was too young to remember it."

"What about Chris?"

"Well, from what Chris tells me, he wasn't conceived in the usual way. I'm not even quite sure what to make of it, but from what I can tell, Regigigas wouldn't have provided genetic material in the same manner as actual intercourse would have. It was more of an energy transfer, if anything. Legendary Pokémon are odd like that."

"Get to the point, Bill," Ken growled, tail twitching impatiently.

"All right, long story short, out of all of your friends, you are the only one who was actually the result of a Pokémon and a human having relations with one another."

"Great…" Ken grumbled, tail landing on the bed with a thump as his unique situation seemed to crash down upon him all at once. "So, what? Pokémon genes are dominant?"

"It's more like the human body can't handle the Pokémon genes properly," Bill explained, not sure how to vocalize his unspoken worry. "And, well, I'm not sure if a direct human-Pokémon crossbreed would be, well, stable. Your friends have more human than Pokémon genes, so they've managed to achieve a state of balance. You might…"

"I might, _what_ Bill?" Ken asked, his tail began to sway back and forth restlessly across the bed sheets.

"The Pokémon genes might overwhelm the human genes, turning you into a complete Pokémon!" Bill hurriedly explained, sadness and worry evident even in his voice.

Ken was silent. He'd feared this for a long time, but somehow, having Bill speak it aloud finally brought the problem home for him.

"Hey, that's worse case scenario!" Bill reminded him, clearly trying to cheer him up. "I'm still doing research, and it would really help if I could run some tests on you in person…Ken? Ken, are you still there?"

"I gotta go, Bill," Ken muttered, voice barely above a whisper. "I'll…talk to you later, ok?"

"Hey, Ken, don't hang up!" Bill shouted, only to hear a click in his ear, followed by a rhythmic beeping.

Setting his Pokégear down on the night stand, Ken then flopped onto the bed once more, curling himself up into as tight a ball as he could manage, tears already beginning to run down his furry cheeks. Why? Why did things have to be so…complicated?

_My, my, I don't think you could look any bluer if you were Shiny! _Xellos chuckled, Teleporting into the room. _Tell me, just what seems to be the matter?_

"I'm turning into a Pokémon," Ken muttered, burying his face in his pillow.

_And that's something to get this upset over? Why Ken, I'm offended!_

"You were _born_ a Pokémon, Xellos!" Ken snapped, tail beginning to twitch irritably. "I was—"

_Not born a human, despite what you may believe! _Xellos chuckled, Teleporting to Ken's side. _You were born half Pokémon, half human: a new species. It's high time that you quit wallowing in self-pity and accept things for how they are. _

"I wouldn't have minded so much if things had stayed the way they were!" Ken retorted, tail lashing back and forth across the bed sheets.

_Ah, hindsight! What a funny thing it is! You'll say the same thing later, trust me! As they say, you never know what you have till it's gone!_

"Do you know when this will stop?" Ken demanded, sitting up in bed and glaring daggers at the Abra, who continued to regard him with a smile. "'Cause if you do, you'd better tell me now!"

_So angry for a Mew! _Xellos chuckled, clicking his tongue in disapproval. _Honestly, you need to get a better handle on your temper!_

"I'm not a Mew!" Ken snapped, his eyes flashing pink, the decorative vase by the door shattering into a million pieces. "And…maybe your right about that last part…" he admitted, staring at the demolished vase, like a little kid who had just gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

_Well, at least you admit it! _Xellos chuckled, Teleporting onto the Mew hybrid's shoulder. _As for your question, no I can't see the future. Future Sight is a move limited to my evolved forms, I'm afraid. It's just obvious that you'll keep hating your appearance, so why not learn to live with it?_

Ken sighed, though he had to admit, Xellos _did _have a point. Getting all worked up about certainly wasn't making him any more human looking.

"Alright, I'll _try _to deal with this," Ken promised, causing the Abra on his shoulder to break out in a huge grin. "After all, I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

_'Fraid not, _Xellos agreed, as Ken stood up and began to gather his things. _I'm not saying it'll be easy to accept, but every journey begins with a single step!_

"Why do I feel like mine's just beginning?" Ken sighed, swinging his backpack over his shoulder and making his way towards the door.

_Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet! _Xellos chuckled.

Ken raised an eyebrow. "I thought you couldn't see into the future?"

_I can't, at least not directly, _Xellos replied with a shrug. _Let's just say that I have my ways. _

"Meaning?"

_It's a secret!_

"Of course it is," Ken sighed, as he went to join his friends.

* * *

"Feeling better Ken?" Chris asked, as Marik offered him a bowl of Pink Pokéblocks.

"Functioning," Ken replied with a shrug, beginning to chow down on the delicious pink cubes. "So, we ready to go?"

Chris and Marik exchanged glances, looking rather embarrassed.

"Actually, we were thinking about visiting Silph Co.," Chris explained, Marik nodding in agreement. "Silph Co. is famous; people buy their products even in Johto and Sinnoh. They made the Pokégear, you know."

"If you're in Saffron, you've _got _to visit Silph Co.!" Marik added excitedly, making it clear to Ken that his friends were pretty much dead set on going.

"Fine," he sighed, knowing that convincing them otherwise would be impossible, so he might as well go along with it and have some fun. "Just promise we we'll take one of the less crowded tours, ok?"

"Ken, relax!" Marik laughed, wrapping his arm around his friends' shoulder. "This is Saffron, remember? Home of the psychics! Nobody's gonna care!

* * *

"Chris, everybody's staring," the Mew hybrid pointed out, ears twitching nervously as everybody they passed on the streets of Saffron seemed to turn and give him a good long look as they walked by.

"Just try to ignore them Ken," Chris replied, also a little unnerved by all the stares their little group was getting. It was times like this he was glad that most people failed to realize he was a hybrid.

"Better yet, have fun with it!" Marik laughed, pumping his fist in the air dramatically. "You're a celebrity, so act like one! I'm your biggest fan, gonna follow you until you love me! Papa, paparazzi!"

"Gee, thanks Marik," Ken replied with a sigh, as several more people turned in their direction. "As if people weren't paying us enough attention without your singing."

"I happen to be a great singer!" Marik retorted, looking rather offended.

"I know," Ken replied with a sigh. "_That's_ the problem!"

"Hey, I can't help it," Marik replied with a shrug, looking rather pleased with himself. "I'm part Manaphy! My singing is meant to be used to connect with the hearts of any Water Pokémon! When I sing, they're naturally drawn to me!"

"Somebody has a big ego," Ken muttered, as Chris chuckled nervously.

"No really, that's what happens," Marik explained, completely serious. "On my way here, the ship actually couldn't move at one point because so many Water Pokémon had gathered around me! …It's not always a good thing. Anyway, the point I've been trying to make is, if they wanna stare at you, role with it! You're the star! Remember that, and they'll love you! That's what I did in my home town of Slateport, and everything turned out just fine!"

"Except now you're an incredibly vain fish boy with a massively inflated ego," Ken replied with a smirk, as Chris tried and failed to stifle a laugh.

"I'm not a fish boy!" Marik retorted, his antenna popping up briefly before he smoothed them down again. "And my ego is just fine!"

"Notice he didn't deny the vain part," Ken whispered to Chris, causing the Regigigas hybrid to laugh and Marik to scowl.

Finally arriving at Silph Co., Ken took a deep breath, praying that no one there would mention his Pokémon-like appearance, and headed inside.

"This is so awesome! Here, take my picture next to the Silph Co. fountain!" Leaf exclaimed, handing her camera to a very confused looking secretary as she went to pose in front of the large indoor fountain in the middle of the room. "Oh, and could I get a brushier? I want to see _all _the sights!"

"Um…this isn't really a-"

"Take the picture!" Leaf shouted, causing the woman to flinch and snap the photo.

"Great!" Leaf exclaimed, taking her camera back and putting it into her bag. She was silent for a moment before asking, "Do they have miniature replicas at the gift shop?"

"Uh, hi Leaf," Chris laughed, attempting to rescue the clearly frazzled woman from the girl's craziness. "What brings you here?"

"Phil!" Leaf exclaimed, running up to Chris. "And Larry!" she added, much to Marik's displeasure. "And Ken!"

"Oh sure, you get _his _name right!" Marik growled, looking none too happy. "It's _Marik_, ok? M-a-r-i-k Marik!"

The girl blinked before nodding enthusiastically. "Ok, Marik, got it! Files name in storage for later!"

"And Chris," Chris added, though he was a little doubtful that the strange girl would actually remember their names. "You here for a tour, Leaf?"

"Yep, sure am!" Leaf replied, causing the three teens to sigh in relief at the normalcy of the conversation. "I figured I might as well have some fun while I look for leads on where the real Professor Oak was taken!" And just like that, all hope of normalcy vanished. "This is where they created Porygon, you know? And rumor has it, even the Master-"

"Um, excuse me, are you here for a tour?"

The group turned to see a tall man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties regarding them with a friendly smile. He was dressed in a white lab coat, his short purple hair doing little to mask the amusement in his bright blue eyes.

"Yay! The tour guide's here!" Leaf exclaimed, causing the others to sigh.

The man just laughed. "Well, yes, I suppose you could call me that! Welcome to Silph Co., my name is Mathew Reed, but you can just call me Matt! Its-Its-Its nice to meet you!" he said, then blushed. "Sorry! I've had a bit of a st-stuttering problem ever since I was a kid. Its-Its-Its usually not too bad, except when I'm under stress. I just seem to have a bit of trouble with the word 'its' for some reason," he explained with a shrug, looking rather embarrassed.

"Hey, Mew couldn't be as bad as talking like a Pokémon all Mew time," Ken replied, causing the man to look both surprised and grateful.

"So…you're the Mew Boy," Matt muttered, gazing at Ken with what appeared to be wonder before blushing once again. "D-don't take it the wrong way!" he stammered, holding up his hands in defense. "I love Mew, its-its-its one of my favorite Pokémon, next to Porygon, of course!"

"Can we see it?" Leaf asked, eyes aglow with excitement.

"Huh?"

"Your Porygon! Can we see it? Pleeeeeaaaaase?"

"W-well, ok, I don't see why not!" Matt laughed, pulling out a Pokeball and releasing the virtual Pokémon.

"Greetings, I am a Porygon and go by the nickname of Mac. It is a pleasure to meet you all!" the pink and blue Pokémon announced in a rather computerized sounding voice, which greatly surprised Ken, as he was used to hearing Pokémon communicate in Pokéspeak.

Matt smiled. "He's something, isn't he? We had language software installed in order to enable him to c-communicate with humans!"

"That's amazing!" Chris marveled, regarding the Porygon with interest. "How did you manage to do that?"

"Well, first it was a matter of converting the current language program…" Matt began, Ken and Marik quickly zoning out, as they had no idea what the man was talking about. Leaf continued to listen with vigor, though it was clear that she didn't have any idea what was being said. Even Chris looked like he was having some trouble keeping up, though he seemed to get the jist of it.

In the meantime, Matt's Porygon seemed to take an interest in the Mew hybrid, regarding him with interest.

"Scanning subject…scanning reveals subject to be both human and Pokémon. Odd," Mac said, floating closer to Ken, head tilted to the side in confusion. "It is very nice to meet you, Mew person!"

"Uh…it's Ken," Ken explained, still a little unnerved by the whole language software thing.

"Noted," the Porygon said, nodding a few times. "Name verified, and saved for future reference."

Ken blinked, having never encountered a Pokémon like this before. True, Porygon was composed of computer data, but surely it was still a Pokémon, right? He wasn't getting a different vibe from it than from other Pokémon he'd met. It just…talked funny. He smiled as he realized that it reminded him a little bit of Leaf.

"So…language software, huh? Think that would work on me?" Ken laughed.

"Negative. Software is only available for download, and therefore incompatible with organic organisms," Mac replied, clearly not catching the joke. "The possibility of Pokémon to human interaction is currently being considered, though no progress has been made. However, communications with the Devon Corporation suggests that they might be nearing a breakthrough."

Before Ken could ask what the Devon Corporation was, Matt had already finished his conversation with Chris and was taking them on their tour.

* * *

Outside the Silph Co. building, several Team Rocket members were already lying in wait, Pokeballs in hand, evil grins on their faces.

"Oh my, this is not good," Xellos muttered from his position hidden in the bushes, before Teleporting out of sight.

* * *

Author's Notes: First off, I am so, so sorry for not updating sooner! The truth is I've hit a bit of a writing drought that I'm trying to work through, so the next update may take a while, and I apologize in advance for this. The good news is, I haven't given up on New Species, and it isn't dead, don't worry! :) Updates will probably be slow for a while, but rest assured, I'm not giving up on this story.

Also, yes, Ken's use of the move Transform is what is causing him to turn into a Mew, though I know that some of you have figured that out already. :)

If Matt seems familiar, it's because he first appeared in a short fanfic that I wrote by the name of _Battle CD 51: Operation X._ If you want to know more about his backstory, I highly recommend that you check that out as well.

Well, that should pretty much cover everything. I'd like to take this time to thank all my readers for sticking with this fanfic for this long, and assure you that I have every intention of seeing this fanfic through until the end. Thanks for reading, everybody! :)


	47. Chapter 46: What I Really Meant to Say

Chapter 46: What I Really Meant to Say

Ken's eyes widened in amazement and delight as he stared at all of the many research facilities and work stations, Silph Co. employees working hard round the clock to bring their wondrous products to fruition.

"So, what exactly do Mew develop here?" Ken asked, regarding their purple haired tour guide with interest.

"Oh, we make just about everything!" Matt replied with a smile, as he led them through the enormous building, pausing to show them the various workstations. "The standard Pokeball, Great ball, and Ultra balls were made by Silph Co.!"

"Wow," Ken and Marik said in unison, clearly at a loss for words.

Leaf was hanging on the man's every word, occasionally nodding. When the subject of Pokeballs came up, her eyes immediately lit up with interest. "How about the Master ball?"

Matt stumbled a bit, clearly taken by surprise by the question. "I'm s-s-sorry, what did you say?"

"The Master ball," Leaf repeated, completely undeterred. "Does it _really _catch any Pokemon without fail?"

"_Please_, that's just a rumor, right?" Marik laughed, pausing as he noticed the serious expression on Matt's face. "…Right?"

"We don't mean to pry!" Chris said, quickly attempting to position himself between Leaf and the Silph Co. worker. "How about we just forget the whole—"

"I'm Professor Oak's research assistant!" Leaf interjected, pushing her way past Chris. "You make a set number of Master balls per year and ship them off to all of the regional professors, but haven't shipped the one to Professor Oak yet, right?"

Matt was quiet for a moment before nodding. "The Master ball _does_ exist," he explained in a voice so quiet, they had to struggle to hear him. "Its-its-its—"

_One of there most guarded secrets!_ Xellos finished, Teleporting into view. He spoke telepathically for everyone's benefit, but for once, Ken was fairly certain that the Abra was awake. Of course, it was hard to tell.

"Xellos! What are Mew doing here?" Ken asked, having thought that he'd seen the last of the annoying Psychic type.

_Oh, just checking in! _the Abra replied with a shrug, Teleporting onto Ken's shoulder. _Now, you were saying about the Master ball? _

"W-w-well," Matt began, clearly a little unnerved by the Abra's sudden appearance.

Xellos sighed. _My, my, it seems you have a bit of a stuttering problem! Allow me! _The Abra then snapped his fingers, causing Matt to be outlined in a pale blue light. All was silent as the man proceeded to look himself over, as if certain that the Abra had done something to him. _Speak,_ Xellos chuckled, clearly finding the man's unease amusing.

"Now, look here!" Matt said, clearly irritated. "You can't just pop in here and start asking questions about the Master ball! Its top secret! We're not allowed to talk about it! Being the assistant of one of the regional professors, I can understand her curiosity," he acknowledged, gesturing to Leaf, "but what would a Psychic type want with the Master Ball? Who's Pokemon are you, anyway?"

_Much better, _Xellos said with a smile, completely ignoring all of Matt's questions.

Matt stared at the Abra in confusion, before his eyes widened in disbelief, realizing that throughout his long-winded speech, he hadn't stuttered once, not even when he had used the word 'its.' "How…?"

_I'm a Psychic type,_ Xellos replied with a shrug, a huge grin on his face. _Does it really matter? _

"I've had that problem my entire life, and now, its gone! Just like that!" Matt marveled, clearly thrilled by being able to speak without stuttering for the very first time.

_Well, don't get too used to it,_ Xellos said, Teleporting in front of the man. _It'll wear off eventually. Besides, I personally think it adds character! _

Matt's smile faded as he heard this, but shrugged. "I've dealt with it my whole life anyway. What's the difference?"

_Ah, now that's what I like to hear! _Xellos chuckled, turning to Ken with a teasing grin. _You could learn something from him Ken! _The Mew hybrid glared at him, but said nothing. _But, I'm not here to be your speech therapist, _Xellos continued, Teleporting in-between the group in order to address everyone properly. _Tell me, just where is the Master ball being stored?_

"Its in a secure location," Matt replied, regarding the Abra suspiciously. "Why do you want to know?"

_Well, it's not so much me as Team Rocket, _Xellos replied, causing the man's expression to harden.

"I think you should leave," Matt said, his Porygon floating protectively between him and the Abra.

_Well, I tried, _the Abra sighed, shrugging his shoulders. _Have fun! _And with that, he Teleported away, leaving Ken to wonder what that had been about.

"He's Sabrina's Abra," Chris explained, hoping to ease some of the tension in the room. "Whatever he wanted, I'm sure it couldn't have been anything bad. The Gym Leader's and Pokemon League know about the Master ball, right?"

Matt nodded in confirmation, but didn't say anything else.

Deciding not to push the matter of the Master ball further, Ken turned to find some sort of distraction, settling on the weird tiles scattered across the floor. "So…what are these?"

"Oh! Those are warp tiles!" Matt explained, seeming to relax at the new direction the conversation was taking. "We use them to get around sometimes, but mainly they serve as a part of the security system."

"Security system?" Chris asked, clearly interested.

Matt nodded. "In the event of a break in, the warp tiles will turn on, warping anyone who steps on them to a corresponding tile on another floor. Since only Silph Co. employees are informed of all the combinations, it's meant to confuse and deter intruders. Special electronic doors will also lock themselves, further hindering the intruders' progress, and can only be opened using a Card Key, which only Silph Co. workers carry."

"Sounds like it'd cause a lot Mew trouble for the police when Mew get here!" Ken laughed, causing Matt to regard him with surprise.

"You might have a point…"

"And wouldn't the Teleportation tiles make all of the Silph Co. workers sick?" Chris asked, causing Ken to grimace as he recalled his own issues with Teleportation. "Not to mention all the technical issues…"

"Well, yes, some of our staff does experience the phenomenon of Teleportation Sickness, but like I said, it's mainly used for security purposes. As for safety, we routinely check all the warp tiles to make sure that they're functioning properly. But, that's not really my department," Matt explained, as they headed down the hall. "I specialize in the research and development of new Silph products. Recently, I helped with development of the new Silph Scope."

"Silph Scope?" Ken asked, tail twitching with interest.

Matt nodded. "Yes! Its essentially a pair of goggles that allows people to see and identify ghosts."

Everyone turned to Marik, who had gone whiter than a sheet. "And wh-why would you want t-to do that?" he stammered, looking absolutely terrified.

"Well, Ghost type Pokemon tend to create illusions and hide themselves from view, making them pretty much uncatchable under certain circumstances," Matt explained, as Marik began to nervously fiddle with one of his antenna. "It also allows you to see literal ghosts."

"L-literal g-ghosts?" Marik asked, looking like he was about to faint.

Matt nodded. "That's right! The spirits of people or Pokemon who still linger in this world, unable to proceed to the afterlife!"

"Marik!" Ken and Chris called out, as the Manaphy hybrid tumbled backwards in a dead faint.

"Is it something I said?" Matt asked, as Chris proceeded to tend to the unconscious teen.

Ken shrugged, and Leaf took this opportunity to poke at one of Marik's antenna, a look of fascination on her face.

A loud boom interrupted everyone from their musings, and the group turned to see several people dressed in black making their way into the building, the large red R's clearly visible on their shirts.

"Aw, crap! Can't I have one normal trip somewhere?" Ken groaned, slipping into Pokéspeak out of habit. "Just _one_?"

Seconds later, an alarm began to sound, momentarily distracting Team Rocket.

"Let's go!" Matt said, leading them down a long hallway and into one of the rooms. "The security system is booting up, so we'll be safe here!"

As the electronic door slid shut, Ken glanced around the room to find the room already occupied by two other Silph Co. workers: a man was cowering beneath the table in state of panic, while the woman next to him simply rolled her eyes, clearly embarrassed.

"Um…Mew have a plan, right?" Ken asked, not really liking the looks of things.

"Don't worry!" Matt said reassuringly, as Chris gently set Marik down in one of the chairs, the Manaphy hybrid still having failed to regain consciousness. "You need a Card Key to get past that door," he explained, reaching a hand into his pocket, "and there's no way that Team Rocket could…could…" he paused, digging around frantically in his pocket, eyes widening in concern. "Uh-oh…"

"Please tell Mew you didn't lose your key?" Ken asked, a hopeful smile on his face that showed off his tiny fangs.

"All right," Matt said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I won't tell you!"

"Great…" Ken sighed, ears drooping.

"So, does that mean we're locked in?" Chris asked, the gravity of the situation beginning to set in.

"We're all gonna die!" the man from beneath the table screamed, making it really difficult for anyone to stay positive.

"All right, everybody calm down!" Matt sighed, holding up his hands in exasperation. "Look, there's a warp tile right over there. We can use it to get to another place in the building."

"If Mew think I'm going anywhere near that thing, you're crazy," Ken growled, tail beginning to sway back and forth anxiously.

"There's no need to go anywhere just yet," Matt reminded everyone, hoping to relieve some of the tension in the room. "Still, I wonder where on earth my Card Key could've gotten to…"

* * *

In another section of the Silph Co. building an Abra appeared in a flash of light, a small smile finding its way to his face as he looked at the card in his hand.

"Now, if I were a Master ball, where would I be?"Xellos pondered, Teleporting again as a Team Rocket member came dangerously close to his position. Floating down the hallway and using the Card Key on a particularly large set of electronic doors, the Abra nearly face palmed at what he saw. "All right, a giant completely inconspicuous vault! Surely the Master ball couldn't _possibly_ be in here!" Attempting to open the vault door, Xellos was immediately informed that he needed a password. "Now, this is where things get interesting…"

* * *

Will stared out the window of the Saffron City Pokemon Gym, fists clenched, unable to believe what he was seeing. Just outside the door stood a member of Team Rocket, hanging around like he owned the place. Worse yet, he'd already informed Sabrina that he would be stationed there during Team Rockets raid on Silph Co., and she'd simply gone along with it!

_I can't just let Team Rocket get away with this! _Will thought to himself angrily, reaching for one of the Pokeballs at his waist, only to feel a hand be placed on his shoulder.

"I understand you're upset," Sabrina said, as the purple haired teen turned to regard her with confusion, "but I still have to play the part of Team Rocket member if I ever wish to obtain the information I need."

Will snorted. "Sure, 'play the role.' Is that what you did to Ken?" he asked, his blue eyes shinning with anger.

"Believe me Will, I'd give anything to take back what I've done," Sabrina replied, her hair falling in front of her eyes as she hung her head in shame.

Will blinked, sensing that the woman was genuinely sorry for what she had done. "Sabrina? You seem…different."

"Well, Ken does have a way of changing people," the woman chuckled, a slight smile on her face.

Will reached up and adjusted the mask that was quickly becoming like an extension of his body and nodded. "There is something special about him," he agreed, a smile on his face. "I've felt it since the moment I met him." Glancing outside once more, a frown came to his face. "Tell me, if you don't want Team Rocket to get away with this, then how can you simply stand by and let them attack Silph Co.? Surely stopping them is more important than getting your cover blown?"

Sabrina was silent for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face. "Honestly, its hard for me to say. I _want _to go in and help, but somehow, I don't feel that I _should_. Its like something's telling me that I shouldn't, and these feelings are rarely wrong…"

Will stared, regarding his mentor with awe. "Did you have a vision of the future?"

The Gym Leader smiled and nodded. "It's been such a long time since I've had one, not since my personality first split. I just hope that my vision is correct…"

* * *

Red stood staring at the Silph Co. building, fists clenched and a determined look on his face. Team Rocket was in there—he just knew it!

When he first left on his journey, Red had promised his mother three things. One, that he'd call once in a while to let her know how his journey was going and that he was alright; two, that he'd remember to dress appropriately for the weather so as not to catch cold; and three, that he'd stay out of trouble. Although he didn't know it now, Red would eventually come to break every single one of these promises.

"Ready buddy?" the boy asked with a smile, turning to the Pikachu at his side.

"Pika!" the Pokemon agreed, dashing after his Trainer, as the pair headed inside the Silph Co. building.

Leaning against a nearby tree, Blue sighed and shook his head.

_Red, you idiot! What makes you think that you have to be the one to handle this sort of thing all the time? _Running a hand through his spiky brown hair with a heavy sigh, the grandson of Professor Oak shrugged and headed after his rival.

* * *

"Chris! This is _boring_!" Ken sighed, slumping in the chair and letting out a moan, his tail dragging unenthusiastically across the floor.

"Ken, we're in the middle of a Team Rocket invasion here!" Chris sighed, turning to look at the Mew hybrid incredulously. "Shouldn't you be a bit more worried?"

_Hmm…I should, shouldn't I? _Ken thought to himself, as he glanced around the room that he and his friends now found themselves locked in. _I mean, Team Rocket's right outside that door, so why aren't I…?_ "Its not like I'm not worried Chris!" the Mew hybrid replied, tail twitching in irritation. "Its just that we've been in here for the past twenty minutes, and absolutely _nothing _has happened! I mean, Team Rocket can't get in without a Card Key, and all we're doing is wasting our time doing nothing!"

Chris sighed, knowing that his friend had a point. "Well, what are we supposed to do, Ken? Its not like we can just march out there and take down Team Rocket ourselves! Last time, we had Lt. Surge, Red, Blue, and Leaf with us—"

"Hello! I'm right here!" Leaf announced, waving her arms to get the teens attention, causing Chris to blush. She'd been so oddly quiet that he'd honestly forgotten she was there.

"Look, what I mean is…" Chris began, pausing as the lights began to flicker.

"That's it, we're doomed!" the man beneath the table cried, body beginning to tremble with fear. "Team Rocket's won, they're going to take all of our research, we're never getting out of here alive—ouch!"

"Shut up, will you?" the woman next to him sighed, as the man rubbed his stinging cheek. "You don't see those kids freaking out like that, do you?"

"One of them is unconscious!" the man wailed, pointing towards the still passed out Marik.

"Which happened before Team Rocket even _got here_!"

"Ok everybody, It's pretty clear that we're not going to get anywhere just standing here," Chris sighed, as the lights began to flicker once more, "so we all need to be on the same page. Matt, why would Team Rocket be here in the first place?"

"Well, I think that Abra said it earlier," Matt replied, gaze shifting towards the door. "They must be after the Master ball."

* * *

"Chuuuuuu!" Pika cried, releasing a large bolt of electricity into the electrical system of the elevator. The lights flickered, but still the elevator refused to move.

"No luck, huh buddy?" Red sighed, as the Electric rodent hopped off his shoulder, giving him a, "No, you think?" look.

"I guess its not working right now. Looks like we gotta do this the hard way," the boy said, making his way out of the elevator, followed by his Pokemon. Both were disappointed, as it had been hard enough getting the thing open in the first place.

Pika didn't mind so much; all this meant was that he'd get to fry some Rockets. Following after his Trainer, he paused, ears twitching, sure that he had heard something.

"C'mon Pika!" Red called, turning to notice that the rodent was no longer following him. "We've gotta hurry before Team Rocket notices us!"

Taking one last look, the Pikachu shrugged, then hurried after Red.

Sighing in relief, Blue looked out from the corner he had been watching from, asking himself once more why it was that Red felt the responsibility of taking on Team Rocket fell to him. Shaking his head, he turned once more to his Pokedex where the image of a Pikachu was currently being displayed, a deep frown on his face.

* * *

"So you're _positive_ that Team Rocket can't get the Master ball?" Chris asked, somewhat skeptical.

"Of course!" Matt assured him with a wave of his hand. "Even if they somehow managed to get a hold of a Card Key, it would be impossible to open the vault without the password, something that is known only to Silph employees."

Chris frowned; something about this didn't sit right with him, though he wasn't sure what. "And, hypothetically, what would happen if Team Rocket _did _get a hold of the Master ball?"

Matt face was deathly serious. "They'd be able to capture virtually any Pokemon in the world, even those previously deemed uncatchable…"

Ken and Chris exchanged glances, both knowing that they were thinking the same thing.

"This is not good…"

* * *

"This is not good!" Xellos sighed, as he rapidly Teleported to avoid detection by Team Rocket.

Rematerializing in a corner that looked to be out of sight of anyone who should walk passed, he stopped to plan his next course of action.

"Pika, use Thunderbolt!"

_Hmm? Now what do we have here? _the Abra wondered, as a boy and his Pikachu ran around the corner, zapping everything in sight.

"Discharge!" Red called out, as several Team Rocket grunts began to surround him.

Crouching down in a fighting stance, Pika's body began to dance with millions of yellow sparks, before he released an enormous flare of electricity, shocking all the surrounding Rockets and leaving them stunned and twitching before they even had the chance to send out a Pokemon.

"Well, that's one way of doing it I suppose!" Xellos laughed, continuing to regard the boy and his Pikachu with interest. _So, this is the boy I was informed about, _the Abra thought, a smile on his face. _He is strong, I'll give him that. _As a Team Rocket member came around the corner, only to be taken out with a Thunderbolt, a frown slowly came to the Abra's face. _Hmm, I wonder…_

* * *

Elsewhere in the Silph Co. building, a group of Team Rocket members stood in front of an enormous vault; amongst them was a certain Team Rocket Supervisor.

"Those fools!" the man laughed, approaching the vault, Card Key in hand. "They make this too easy!" Sliding the card through the slot, the man frowned as he was informed that he needed a password. "All right, I have some important business to take care of! The rest of you, get this door open!" the man ordered, turning to his underlings.

"Yes sir!" the many men and women announced, quickly saluting their superior.

"I know you're out there Mew Boy," the man growled as he released his Arbok and Sandslash from their Pokeballs, "and this time, nothing is going to stop me from bringing you to the boss!"

* * *

"Discharge!" Red announced, and another group of Rocket grunts bit the dust. "Wow, this is easier than I thought it'd be! We'll be done in no time!"

"Heck yeah, baby!" Pika laughed, although he knew his Trainer wouldn't understand him. "We're the number one pest control unit! Just call me the Rocket Zapper!"

"So, its you again, you brat!"

Red and Pika turned to see a man dressed in the Team Rocket uniform approaching them, a Sandslash and an Arbok at his side. Pika's cheeks sparked eagerly, but Red was a little uneasy. There was something different about this guy.

"Do I know you?" Red asked, adjusting his hat and calling Pika over to him, the rodent adopting a fighting stance.

The man just smiled. "No, but I know you. Between you and Brock, we were forced to withdraw our forces from Mt. Moon. But don't worry," he added in a sickeningly sweet voice that had Pika sparking defensively, "I don't blame you."

"You don't?" Red asked, taking a cautious step back, having the sneaking suspicion that the man was up to something.

The man smiled. "No, of course not. The one I blame is…"

"Chaaa!" Pika cried, as he was slammed by the Sandslash's vicious claws into the wall and pinned there.

"…the Mew Boy!" the man laughed, seemingly delighting in the small Pokémon's pain.

"Pika!" Red called out, attempting to run to his Pokémon's aid, only to have the Arbok block his path.

"Now, you have two choices," the man continued, as Pika continued to struggle against the Sandslash's grip. "One, you tell me where the Mew Boy is, or two…"

"PikaAAAAH!" Pika cried, as the Sandslash shoved its free claws through his ear and removed its other arm, causing Pika to be suspended painfully by his ear, front paws desperately clinging to his opponent's wrist in an attempt to provide himself with some sort of support.

"…I have Sandslash kill your Pikachu!"

Red stared in shock and horror at the scene, tears welling up in his eyes as his Pokemon continued to cry out in pain.

Time seemed to slow down as Red realized that he had been forced into a no win situation. On the one hand, he could hand Ken over to Team Rocket, but there was no telling what they would do to him, and he had no idea where Ken was, anyway. But on the other hand…

"PIKACHUAAAHHH!"

"Stop it!" Red shouted, attempting once more to run to his Pokémon's aid, only to leap backwards seconds later in order to avoid Arbok's Poison Sting.

"Squirt, use Water Gun!"

Red and the Team Rocket Supervisor both paused in surprise as a large jet of water hit the Sandslash in the side of the face, causing it to cry out and release its grip on Pika, who toppled to the floor with a pained squeak.

Red wasted no time in scooping up Pika into his arms, grimacing as he saw that the rodents right ear was torn and bleeding, then turned to see Blue standing nearby, a Wartortle by his side and a deep frown on his face.

"Blue, I—"

"Save it, Red!" Blue snapped, tossing a Pokeball to reveal an Abra. "Hocus, Teleport!"

There was a flash of light, and then Red and Blue were Teleported to another section of the Silph Co. building, one thankfully devoid of any Rockets…at least for the time being.

"Blue, thank—" Red began, only to cry out in shock as his rival punched him square in the face.

"Pi! Pika Chu Pika Pikachu?!" Pika demanded, cheeks sparking furiously.

Red held his hand to the side of his face, already able to feel a bruise forming. "Blue, why?"

"Trust me, you deserve a lot worse than that!" the boy snapped, face twisted in anger. "This isn't a game! You can't just run in here and be the big hero, Red! Keep pulling stunts like this, and you're going to get yourself and your Pokemon killed!"

"Shut up Porcupine Head!" Pika shouted, not caring about the pain in his ear, nor the fact that humans couldn't understand him. "You would just sit around and do nothing! You're a coward! You-!" he paused, glancing up as he felt Red place a hand on his head. "Red?"

"That's enough, Pika," Red whispered, his eyes hidden beneath the brim of his hat, though the rodent could clearly make out the tears running down the boy's face. "He's right."

"Red, what are you talking about?" Pika asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "We have to stop Team Rocket, right?"

"Pika I…I don't want you to get hurt again…" the boy whispered, falling down on one knee as the little yellow Pokemon continued to stare at him in confusion.

"Pfft! I'm gonna get hurt anyway, idiot!" the Pikachu scoffed, rolling his eyes. "That's part of…" he paused, reaching up and noticing for the first time that his ear was bleeding. In all the battles he'd had, he'd never bled before…

"So you both get it now, huh?" Blue asked, as he watched the pair in front of him, a frown on his face. "If you keep this up, you'll both be dead before you even get all eight badges! And I…I can't go letting my rival get himself killed before I have a chance to beat him!"

Red looked up in surprise at Blue, for once really paying attention to the look on the other boy's face.

_He's been worried about me, _Red realized, as his childhood friend continued to glare at him. "Blue, I—"

"And another thing!" Blue continued, apparently not interested in whatever it was Red had to say. "What in the _world_ is wrong with your Pikachu's moveset?"

"Huh?" Red and Pika asked, not really understanding what Blue was getting at.

"Jeez, Red," Blue sighed, pulling out his Pokedex, "you need to be more responsible!"

"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon," the Pokedex announced. "It has small electric sacs on both its cheeks. If threatened, it looses electric charges from the sacs. When several of these Pokemon gather, their electricity could build and cause lightning storms. It keeps its tail raised to monitor its surroundings. If you yank its tail, it will try to bite you. Gender: Male. Ability: Static. Useable moves: Thunderbolt, Discharge, Quick Attack, Slam."

"You get it now?" Blue sighed, closing his Pokedex and shoving it in his pocket. "In all the time you've been with that Pikachu, you only taught it Normal and Electric attacks. If you _really _wanna be the best, you have to diversify your Pokémon's moves. That's _your job_, Red!"

Red hung his head, knowing that Blue was right. While Pikachu didn't really learn much besides Normal and Electric type attacks, it was his job as the Trainer to teach Pika moves of different types to help him in battle. Pika had been absolutely helpless against that Sandslash…

"I'm sorry Blue," Red said, as he reached down and patted his Pokémon's head. "You're absolutely right."

"Huh?" Blue asked, completely dumbfounded. It wasn't like Red to apologize like this, or to admit that he had been wrong.

"I should've been teaching Pika better moves. I shouldn't have been so reckless to try and take on Team Rocket all by myself." Slowly, Red lifted his head to look his rival in the eye, and Blue could see that the boy had been crying. "I owe a big apology to you, and to all of my Pokemon. So…I'm sorry Blue, Matches, Pika. Really, _really _sorry." Slowly, the boy took a deep breath, a fire burning in his eyes. "But I can't just stand by and do nothing while Team Rocket hurts innocent people!"

"Yeah, you tell 'em Red!" Pika cheered, jumping up and down excitedly.

Blue's eyes widened in shock and amazement. Yes, Red was crazy for thinking that he could take on Team Rocket all by himself, but his reasons for doing so were just. Then there was the fire he saw in his friend's eyes. Like he could accomplish anything…

"Well, if you're still gonna go through with this crazy 'save the world' stunt, at least don't do it alone!" Blue sighed, recalling his Wartortle and sending out a Pidgeotto.

"You mean you'll help?" Red asked in surprise, Pika toppling over in shock.

"Yeah well, I just don't wanna see you get killed is all!" Blue replied dismissively, as he sent his Pidgeotto to scout up in the rafters. "Don't let it go to your head!"

Red smiled and called Pika over to him, the mouse still looking completely puzzled. "Thanks, Blue."

As the two eleven year olds headed deeper into the Team Rocket infested Silph Co. building, only one thing was on Blue's mind. Red was either going to get them both killed before they reached their thirteenth birthday…or become the stuff of legend.

* * *

Author's notes: Yeah, still trying to work through this writing drought, sorry everyone! ^_^; On a positive note, the Saffron arch is coming to a close, and should be wrapped up within the next chapter, in fact! Thank you all for your patience and continued support, I appreciate it!

Also, in case any of you are fans of my earlier oneshot, _Bad Egg_, I have recently uploaded a sequel: _Bad Egg 2: Rise of Evil_. Check it out it you want.

Well, until next chapter, which hopefully won't take nearly as long to post, thanks for reading everybody! :)


	48. Chapter 47: Sweet Emotion

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait, everybody! I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things! ^_^; On the plus side, this will be a _long_ chapter, definitely the longest I've written yet! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Chapter 47: Sweet Emotion

Ken stared at Leaf, tail twitching anxiously. The girl held his gaze, her expression giving the Mew hybrid no clues as to what she was thinking. This was it. Everything came down to how she would answer his next question.

"Got any three's?"

"Go fish!" the girl replied triumphantly.

"Argh!" Ken growled, tossing his cards into the air in exasperation. "This is _ridiculous_! Why are Mew just sitting around doing _nothing_? We should be trying Mew stop Team Rocket! Not playing cards!"

"And I should be visiting the Silph Co. gift shop, but that isn't going to happen any time soon either!" Leaf countered, no one bothering to point out that Silph Co. didn't even _have _a gift shop.

"Look," Chris sighed, as Ken and Leaf continued their stand off, "their isn't a whole lot we can do right now, so lets just remain calm until the authorities get here, ok? …The authorities are coming, right Matt?"

The purple haired man nodded. "They triggered the alarm, so it shouldn't take too long for the police to respond to it. Although—" Suddenly, there was a buzzing coming from the man's pocket and he pulled out his cell phone. "Hello? Gideon! Are you all right? WHAT? Don't worry, just stay right there, and I'll come to you! I'll be there as soon as I can!" There was a click, and Matt put his phone away, a look of panic on his face.

"What's going on?" Chris asked, as everyone in the room turned to look at the Silph Co. worker in concern.

"That was Gideon, one of our top scientists," Matt explained, a worried frown on his face. "It seems that when the security system booted up, he couldn't make it to one of the rooms in time."

"So, he's out there with Team Rocket?" Chris asked, the gravity of the situation beginning to set in.

Matt nodded. "If they manage to get a hold of his Card Key, they could gain access to the entire building." Matt paused, his face grim. "There's no telling what they'd do to him in order to get that information…"

A chill ran down Ken's spine as he thought of all the things Team Rocket might try in order to get the information they wanted, none of them pleasant.

"So, what are we going to do?" Chris asked, glancing back at the still unconscious Manaphy hybrid. "We can't leave Marik here, and—"

"You and you're friends are staying here," Matt replied, making his way over to the warp tile in a corner of the room. "I'm going to go find Gideon. I wont be gone long, and the police should be here soon, hopefully," Matt explained, a reassuring smile on his face. "Just stay here, and I'll be right back, ok? I promise!"

"What? Mew can't just leave us here!" Ken exclaimed, unable to believe what he was hearing. "And what if Team Rocket catches Mew? And how do Mew plan on getting back here, anyway?"

"Don't worry, I know how most of these warp tiles connect, and if I forget, Mac here has a map of the entire building," Matt explained, giving his Porygon a pat on the head. "As for Team Rocket, I'll take my chances. Gideon was one of the first people I worked with at Silph Co., and he taught me a lot of things. I know that, were the situation reversed, he would do the same for me." And with that, Matt stepped onto the warp tile and he and his Porygon disappeared in a flash of light.

Ken and the others just stared at the spot the man had been, hoping that he knew what he was doing.

* * *

_Jeez Red, I sure hope you know what you're doing! _Blue thought to himself with a sigh as he and his rival carefully made their way through Silph Co., his Pidgeotto and Abra alerting him of any sign of Team Rocket. Honestly, without the two of them Blue was fairly certain that they would've never made it this far.

A squawk from his Pidgeotto broke him out of his thoughts, and he and Red pressed themselves against the wall as a Team Rocket member walked passed. Finally allowing himself to breathe, Blue cautiously stepped out of his hiding place, motioning for Red to follow him.

"We need to find someone who works here," Blue explained, as the duo carefully made their way through the Team Rocket infested building. "Find out what's going on, why Team Rocket is here, and if anyone's called the police yet." The boy frowned; although the alarms had gone off about an hour ago, there was still no sign of the authorities. Just what was going on here?

* * *

"Do you think Matt's ok?" Ken asked Chris, as the Regigigas hybrid continued to restlessly pace around the room.

"I don't know Ken," Chris replied with a sigh, glancing at the warp tile for about the hundredth time in the past five minutes. "I sure hope so."

"That's it, I can't take it anymore!" Leaf shouted from her seat at the table, jumping to her feet and making her way towards the warp tile Matt had used earlier. "This is taking forever, and I'm not even waiting in line! Beam me up, Scotty!" the girl shouted, disappearing in a flash of light.

"That…was weird…" Ken muttered, as he and Chris stared at the spot where the eccentric eleven year old had been.

"That," Chris sighed, shaking his head, "was Leaf. Honestly, I'm surprised that she stayed here as long as she did.

"Should we go after her?" Ken asked, regarding the teleportation pad with concern. "I mean, Team Rocket is out there, and knowing Leaf, she's bound to do something crazy!" Another glance at the teleportation pad left the Mew hybrid feeling sick. "Actually, on second thought, I think I'd rather stay here and keep what little I've eaten today inside of me for once."

"The teleportation pads should work both ways," Chris explained, nodding sympathetically at the teleportation challenged Mew hybrid. "I'll go get her and come right back, ok Ken?"

Ken frowned; something didn't sit right with him about this whole thing, he could feel it, but for the life of him, wasn't sure what it was. Reluctantly, Ken nodded, and Chris disappeared in another flash of light, leaving the teen to wonder if they weren't just playing right into Team Rocket's plans.

* * *

"Leaf?" Chris asked once he had materialized in another section of Silph Co., relief washing over him when he spotted the brunette almost immediately.

"Shhh! The dark ones walk among us!" the girl whispered, attempting to cover the Regigigas hybrid's mouth, before taking their large height difference into account and settling on pulling on his arm.

Chris was about to ask what the strange girl meant, when he noticed the many figures in black roaming around just outside the room.

"Come on Leaf," Chris whispered, taking a cautious step towards the teleportation pad, "we have to get out of here before Team Rocket sees us!"

"But we _can't _run away from Team Rocket!" the girl cried, latching onto his waist and making him feel rather uncomfortable. "Only one can live while the other survives! The only one who can stop He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is The Boy Who Wore a Hat!"

"Umm…I'm not really sure that's how it goes…" Chris sighed, seriously wishing that Leaf would let go of him.

"Of course it is!" Leaf shouted, pulling away from Chris and waving her arms about excitedly. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gathered many followers, spreading darkness across the land, before all fell before The Boy Who Wore a Hat!"

Grabbing Leaf, Chris pressed himself against the wall, praying that Leaf hadn't just alerted Team Rocket to their presence. Several suspenseful moments passed as the Team Rocket members glanced around as if searching for the source of the sound, before continuing on their way. Letting out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding, Chris let go of Leaf and slumped against the wall, unable to believe that they hadn't been caught.

"That was close!" the teen sighed in relief, running a hand through his short black hair as he attempted to return his heart rate to normal.

"I'm sorry Phil," Leaf said, sadness evident in her voice.

"First of all, it's Chris," the Regigigas hybrid sighed, making his way to his feet once more, "and it's fine, let's just get back to—"

"I'm sorry Phil, but I have to do this," Leaf interrupted, Chris's eyes widening as he saw the girl inching towards another teleportation pad. "Don't follow me, or you'll just go crazy from the power of a video game showing you images of all your lost loved ones!" And with that, the girl vanished, leaving Chris once again confused as to what in the world she had been talking about.

Finding it pointless to keep chasing the girl all over Silph Co., Chris considered seeing if Arch might be able to track her and reached for the Ralts' Pokéball, only to find it missing from his belt. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him and he face palmed.

"Just great! The _one time_ that a girl decides to hug me, and she takes the opportunity to steal my Pokemon!"

* * *

Blue and Red quietly made there way down the hall, doing there best to stay out of sight and find out anything they could regarding Team Rocket's intentions. So far, they had heard only bits and pieces of conversations, but every one of them seemed to lead back to something called a Master ball.

"Ever heard of it, Blue?" Red asked, hand wrapped tightly around Matches' Pokéball in case he had to send the Charmander into battle.

"Just rumors," Blue replied, glancing up to check on his Pidgeotto before slowly continuing on. "They say it's the best Pokéball ever made and can catch any Pokemon without fail."

"_Really_?" Red asked, eyes widening.

Blue nodded. "Supposedly, they only make a set amount each year and ship them off to all the regional professors. I asked Gramps about it once, but he just started going on and on about the history of Pokéballs, as if I didn't know he was trying to change the subject." Blue sighed and shook his head. "Apparently, no one's supposed to know about it, and I guess I can see why."

Red nodded. Judging by how things were going with Team Rocket, it was no wonder that Silph Co. went to such great lengths in order to keep it a secret. Suddenly, the boy's eyes widened. _But if they were that secretive about it, then how did Team Rocket find out about the Master ball in the first place?_

"Red?" Blue asked, waving his hand in front of his rival's face and snapping him out of his thoughts. "Jeez, you're starting to remind me of—"

A strange sound to their left interrupted Blue, and both boys turned in time to see Leaf materialize from a nearby teleportation pad.

"Leaf?" Red asked, blinking in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Thank goodness!" the girl sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead. "I've been hopping teleport pad after teleport pad trying to find you guys!"

"Leaf, keep it down!" Blue hissed, eyes flickering towards his Pidgeotto for any indication that they had been spotted. "Team Rocket will hear you!"

"Right, sorry!" the girl laughed, a blush coming to her face, though it didn't seem like she was going to make any effort to quiet down.

"Why are you here, Leaf?" Blue asked, arms crossed. "Don't you realize how dangerous this is?"

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers must be defeated by The Boy Who Wore a Hat," the girl replied, the seriousness in her tone catching both boys by surprise. "But nobody ever said that he did it alone."

"Uhh…Leaf, I—" Red stuttered, only to be interrupted by the girl taking his hands in hers, causing him to blush. "Um, Leaf? Are you feeling ok?"

"Here!" the girl said with a smile, placing the Pokéball she had been holding in Red's hands. "We can use this Ralts to help us! I borrowed him from Phil!"

"Don't you mean Chris?" Red asked, as the girl continued to smile broadly at him.

"And by 'borrowed,' do you mean like the time you 'borrowed' my roller skates? The ones that I spent over a _month _looking for?" Blue asked, rolling his eyes.

"First of all, this is kind of an emergency," Leaf replied dismissively, hands on her hips. "And second, yes. Yes I did."

"You need to give him back," Red began, only to have Leaf toss the Pokéball, Arch popping out and regarding the group with confusion until he spotted Leaf.

_Please tell me there is some __**sane**__ reasoning behind all this? _the Ralts asked telepathically, looking as if he could feel a headache coming on. _I have to deal with enough nonsense from my teammates!_

"Cool! He talks!" Leaf gushed, completely missing the fact that Arch had pretty much just called her insane. "Listen, we really need your help, and I promise that I'll give you back to Phil when we're done!"

_His name is Chris, _Arch sighed, making a mental note to ask his Trainer how this girl managed to take him unnoticed in the first place. _What is it you need me for? _The girl smiled and leaned over to whisper something to him, his expression changing from one of irritation to one of respect. _I see. Hmm, that…might actually work_, the Ralts admitted, a slight smile on his face.

"So you'll help?" Leaf asked, a determined look on her face.

The Ralts nodded. _As long as you promise to return me to my Trainer afterwards. _

"Of course!" Leaf agreed, a huge smile breaking out on her face. "In the words of the great Professor Oak, 'Leaf, please don't feed the Pokemon pixie sticks, it makes them hyper!'" Everyone stared. "Oops! Wrong words! In the _other _words of the great Professor Oak, 'Stealing Pokemon from others is wrong. You must only throw Pokéballs at wild Pokemon. Yes Leaf, I realize that a Pokéball will mark a Pokemon as unable to be caught, but it is the principle of the thing!'"

Deciding that some things were better off unquestioned, the group set off, unaware that they were being watched.

_Well, well,_ _the girl decided to take the Ralts from his Trainer, did she? Chris is going to be very worried once he figures out his Pokemon is missing!_ Xellos chuckled, a huge grin on his face. _This is getting more interesting by the minute! _And with that, he Teleported out of sight.

* * *

Matt cautiously made his way through Silph Co. in search of where Gideon said he'd be at, his Porygon keeping ready to alert him at the first sign of danger.

This was crazy, perhaps even suicidal, but where logic told him to head back to the room where he'd be safe, his heart told him that he had to find Gideon at all costs.

When Matt had first started working at Silph Co. it had been Gideon that showed him around, taught him how things worked and what was expected of him, and even stood up for him the few times the other employees made fun of his stuttering problem. Yes, Gideon had been there for him way back then, and now, it was time he returned the favor.

Glancing up at Mac, who nodded and gave the all clear, Matt turned and sprinted down the hallway, doing his best to try and drown out the endless sea of questions that plagued his mind.

What if he didn't make it in time?

What if Team Rocket caught him before he could get there?

What if they hurt Gideon?

What if they already had the Master ball?

What if…what if Gideon was…dead?

_No, there's no way that would happen!_ Matt reassured himself, shaking his head and doubling his speed. _They still need Gideon to tell them the password, and then…_ And then what? If Gideon told them the password, there was no guarantee that Team Rocket would let him live. But if Gideon refused to give up the password, as Matt was sure that he would, would Team Rocket simply grow frustrated and kill him on the spot?

Shaking his head to rid it of the horrible thought, Matt continued to run full speed down the hall, determined to find and rescue his fellow Silph Co. worker…

…or die trying.

* * *

Ken continued to pace nervously about the small room he found himself in, tail twitching anxiously. Although Chris had said that he'd be right back, the Regigigas hybrid had been gone for a long time.

_So why not go after him? _Xellos asked, Teleporting onto Ken's shoulder and snickering when the boy jumped in surprise.

"Because we can't all go running off like that!" Ken retorted, tail twitching irritably. "Leaf left, then Chris went after Leaf, and then I'll go after Chris, and as soon as Marik wakes up he'll go after me! Somebody has to break the cycle," Ken replied at last, sitting down at the table and trying his best not to look as worried as he felt.

_True, but why aren't they back yet?_

Ken frowned; honestly, he'd been wondering the same thing, but was trying not to think about what that could mean.

_Ken, you're not doing anybody any good just sitting here, _Xellos sighed, Teleporting onto the teen's right shoulder. _And besides, _he glanced over at Marik, who was still propped up in one of the chairs where they'd left him, _by the looks of it, your friend is going to be out for quite a while!_

"I suppose…" Ken admitted, glancing over at Marik, then at the teleport pad. "But what good would it do to just rush into this? I'm not strong enough to take on Team Rocket!"

_Who said anything about fighting them? _Xellos asked, an amused smile on his face. _Everyone has their role to play, Ken, including you. Now, lets be honest, shall we? You're worried you'll get sick after using the teleport pad and end up making things harder on your friends, am I right?_

Ken flinched as he heard this, but reluctantly nodded, knowing that trying to hide the truth from a Psychic Pokemon was like trying to teach a Rydon how to fly.

_I understand Ken, _Xellos said, patting the Mew hybrid sympathetically on the back. _But the one thing you need to learn about teleportation is-_ Grinning, the Abra grabbed Ken by the shoulders and Teleported him out of the room before he even had the chance to protest. _–your body is never going to be able to adapt to it if you don't give it a try!_

"Xellos!" Ken cried, immediately collapsing onto his knees as his stomach began to rebel against him. The world seemed to spin, everything tilting at unnatural angles. Clutching his stomach and gritting his teeth, Ken begged his stomach to settle down, the wave of dizziness making him feel sick and weak. Still, he didn't throw up, and after a few minutes, managed to pull himself somewhat shakily to his feet.

_You see? _Xellos chuckled, floating into Ken's line of vision. _It gets easier the more you do it. Who knows? Maybe you'll even be able to do it yourself someday!_

"Not happening!" Ken spat, taking several shaky steps in order to get reoriented with his surroundings. Glancing around, he realized that he had no idea where he was, other than someplace in the Silph Co. building. "All right, Xellos," Ken sighed, glancing at the smiling Pokemon hovering overhead, "just what is it you expect me to do?"

_Well, you are a Psychic type, aren't you Ken? _the Abra laughed, regarding the teen with apparent amusement. _Why not start by contacting your friends? _

"You mean telepathically?" Ken asked, a skeptical look on his face. "First of all, I don't know my range yet, and second, I wouldn't be able to hear them if they tried to talk to me!"

_Really Ken,_ the Abra sighed, shaking his head incredulously, _haven't you ever had a cell phone before? _The Mew hybrid shook his head. _It's like a text message,_ Xellos continued, unable to believe that the teen had never owned a cell phone. _Tell your friends where to meet you!_

"Cell phone?" Ken asked, ears perking up.

_Yes, just—_

"Why don't I just call Chris on my Pokégear?" Ken sighed, unable to believe that he hadn't thought of it before. Digging into his backpack, he let out a moan when he realized that he had no reception.

"What's the matter Ken?" Sora asked, glancing worriedly up at her Trainer. "Isn't it working?"

"No bars," Ken replied, causing the little Bulbasaur to regard him with confusion. "No Sora," he sighed, shaking his head. "It isn't."

_My earlier suggestion remains valid,_ Xellos pointed out, causing Ken to glare at him.

"He has a point Ken," Sora pointed out.

Sighing in defeat, Ken reluctantly closed his eyes, doing his best to search for the familiar presence that was Chris. Eventually, he felt a strange sensation in his head, like when you brush against someone in a crowded area. An image of Chris briefly popped into his head, before fading away, leaving Ken feeling a bit drained.

_Well? _Xellos prompted, as Ken opened his eyes once more.

"I can't," the Mew hybrid sighed, shaking his head. "Wherever he is, he's too far away." Sighing, he turned to Xellos, a disappointed frown on his face. "We're in the _same building_. I…I'm still not very good at this, am I?"

_It is a fairly large building,_ Xellos replied with a shrug, though Ken had the distinct impression that the Abra was just saying that to make him feel better. _You're much stronger than you were before training with Sabrina, you know. _

"I can't even get Iron Tail right!" Ken growled, his tail lashing back and forth in frustration.

_One step at a time,_ Xellos replied. _Right now, lets see about finding your friends. _

"Ok," Ken agreed, smiling gratefully at the Abra. "Hey Xellos?"

_Hmm?_

"Why are you helping me, anyway?"

The Abra grinned. _Now that is a secret! _

* * *

Dashing full speed down the halls of Silph Co., breathing heavily, Matt clung to the hope that Gideon was still alive and well, and that he hadn't arrived too late. Rounding the corner, relief washed over him as he spotted the man cowering behind a plant, exactly where he'd said he'd be.

"Gideon! Oh God, am I glad to see you!" Quickly rushing to the man's side, Matt was relieved to find the man unharmed. "Come on, we need to get you to—"

"The Master ball is a beautiful thing, isn't it Matt?" Gideon asked, staring off into space with a dreamy expression on his face. "So useful, and yet, if it isn't in the right hands—"

"Yes, I know," Matt sighed, bending over and trying his best to get the other man's attention. "That's why we go through such lengths in order to protect it." A worried frown crossed his face. "Team Rocket doesn't have the Master ball, do they Gideon?"

"No," the man replied with a laugh, looking as though, mentally, he was a million miles away. "No, they don't."

Matt sighed in relief. "That's good. Come on, we need to get you out of here," he said, holding out his hand to help the other man up.

"No stuttering, eh Matt?" Gideon asked, his eyes regaining some focus.

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," Matt replied with a laugh. "Its only temporary, courtesy of an Abra that apparently belongs to Sabrina. We can talk about it later, right now, I _really _need to get you out of here before Team Rocket spots us!"

"But they already have."

"What?"

Immediately, several Team Rocket members emerged from their hiding places, evil smiles plastered onto their faces. Matt stiffened and grit his teeth, though he tried his best not to show fear.

"How easily the tide of battle turns in the other's favor," Gideon mused, the far off look back in his eyes.

* * *

_Leaf, where in the world ARE YOU?_ Chris wondered, his right hand fingering the spot where Arch's Pokéball had been. Something about this whole thing just didn't make sense. Leaf was a strange and eccentric girl, that much was for sure, but for the life of him, Chris had never pegged her for a thief. _She MUST have had a reason, _Chris decided, a thoughtful frown on his face. _The question is, what was it? _Flattening himself against the wall, Chris held his breath as a group of Team Rocket members raced past him, seemingly unaware of his presence. _Hmm…now where in the world could they be going?_

With no idea as to where Leaf could be, and knowing the girl's habit of finding trouble anyway, Chris quietly followed after the group of Team Rocket members, knowing that wherever they were going, it had to be somewhere important.

* * *

_Where are all these Team Rocket guys headed? _Ken wondered, as several more Rockets ran passed him. Cautiously stepping out from behind the plant he had ducked behind, he glanced off in the direction they had gone, ears twitching in confusion.

_The item they seek is within reach,_ Xellos replied, a slight grin on his face. _They're assembling for the final showdown, as it were. _

"WHAT?! You mean they have the Master ball?!" Ken demanded, his fur beginning to stand on end, something that he still wasn't used to.

_Relax,_ Xellos laughed, clearly enjoying the sight of the very freaked out Mew hybrid. _I said __**within reach**__, meaning that we still have time to stop them. _

"Well, well, if it isn't the Mew Boy!" a voice from behind Ken announced, making him shiver, for he recognized this voice. "I trust you remember me?" the Team Rocket Supervisor laughed, his Sandslash already sharpening his claws. "I certainly remember you."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Ken shouted, his eyes flashing pink, the Team Rocket Supervisor sliding back a few feet from the force of the psychic energy.

"Finally using your psychic powers against me, are you?" the man laughed, regarding Ken with a cruel smile. "I certainly hope that's not the best you can do, after all, that was nothing more than a light push, at best!"

_Darn it, _Ken growled, tail twitching nervously, _this is a lot harder than moving pillows! _He had meant to hurl the man into the nearest wall, but wasn't able to put enough force behind the attack.

The man continued to smile. "Your secret's out, Mew Boy. Sabrina has already given us an overall assessment of your abilities. You're weak! You can't control Iron Tail, and your psychic abilities are weaker than that of even psychically gifted humans! The only good move you have is Transform, and you've only recently gotten the hang of that!" the man laughed, smiling with pleasure as Ken let out an angry growl. "But don't worry," the man continued in overly pleasant tone while pulling out a Pokéball. "I know that our boss will be able to train you to become a very powerful Pokemon!"

"For Mew last time, I'M NOT A POKEMON!" Ken shouted, body blazing with psychic energy, the man flinching as a tiny shard of the wall chipped off and hit him on the side of the face.

_Ken, be careful, _Xellos warned, a hint of fear in his voice. _You know as well as I do what letting you're emotions get the better of you can lead to. _

Ken froze, realizing that the Abra was right, the pink aura leaving his body as quickly as it had appeared. Franticly, Ken tried to think of a way out of this, the Team Rocket Supervisor grinning as he prepared to toss the empty Pokéball.

_Don't focus on what you can't do, _Xellos advised, as the Mew hybrid began to panic. _Instead focus on what you __**can**__ do. _

"Like _what_?!" Ken snapped, as the man and his Sandslash began to close in. "All I can do is move pillows, bend spoons, and make bubbles of psychic energy! None of that could possibly—" Ken paused, his eyes widening, as an idea came to him.

Focusing on his psychic power with all of his might, Ken began to form a bubble of pink psychic energy, the bubble growing steadily larger until it nearly touched the ceiling—much bigger than any bubble he'd ever created before.

"What on Earth…?" the Team Rocket Supervisor asked, pausing to regard the scene with confusion.

"Let's…" Ken panted, growing tired from the effort of using so much energy to create a bubble that big, "see how Mew like being in a ball!"

With one last burst of psychic energy, Ken sent the bubble hurdling towards the very surprised Team Rocket Supervisor, trapping him and his startled Sandslash inside.

_Great job Ken! _Xellos praised, as the Mew hybrid collapsed onto his knees, breathing heavily. _But we should really get moving before they manage to break out!_

"That's…easy…for you to say…" Ken replied, still trying to catch his breath. "Just…give me a minute, would ya?"

_Ken, we don't have a minute,_ Xellos replied seriously, causing the Mew hybrid to glance up. At once, he saw what the Abra meant: the Sandslash was already struggling against the bubble, and any minute, that bubble was going to burst.

Reluctantly making his way to his feet, Ken half ran, half stumbled around the corner, hoping to put as much distance between him and the Team Rocket Supervisor as possible.

He was so focused on just trying to keep his body moving that he didn't even notice when he practically plowed right into Red, Blue, and Leaf.

"Whoa, Ken!" Red cried, reaching out to steady the shaky Mew hybrid. "What happened to you?"

"Mew made a bubble," Ken replied, causing the boy in the hat to regard him with confusion.

"How long have you been hanging around Leaf?" Blue asked, an amused grin on his face. "Anyway, apparently, we're going to stop Team Rocket, somehow, so you wanna come with us? We're all probably going to get captured, but at least we did it together, right?"

"Don't mind Mr. Grumpy-McSarcastic Pants over here," Leaf said, causing Blue to scowl. "We have a plan!"

_Which actually, might work,_ Arch remarked, regarding Ken with a slight smile. _Hello Ken, glad you joined the party. _

"Ok, why is Arch here?" Ken asked, ears twitching in confusion. "And where's Chris?"

"Unless you want Team Rocket to catch us, I suggest you quit asking questions and keep moving!" Blue snapped, pushing his way passed the others and continuing deeper into Silph Co., his Pidgeotto fluttering after.

Shrugging, Ken joined Red, Leaf, and Arch as they set off to join Blue.

* * *

"Whoa!" Chris cried, as he was nearly trampled by a group of Team Rocket members as he rounded the corner. Pulling himself out of the way in the nick of time, he was left to ponder the strange situation. This wasn't the first time in past few minutes that he'd encountered a group of Team Rocket members who appeared to be in a huge rush to get somewhere. Just where were they all headed that was so important?

"Chris!" Ken cried out, spotting the familiar form of his friend as they rounded the corner.

"Ken? What are you doing here?" Rushing over to Ken and the others, a look of relief spread across his face when he spotted his Ralts. "Arch! Boy am I glad to see you!" Turning to Leaf, he asked, "Why did you take him?"

"The truth is out there!" Leaf screamed, pointing dramatically before grabbing the Ralts and taking off running before Arch even had the chance to explain.

"Follow the crazy girl and we _should _find out eventually," Blue sighed, hurrying after his friend. "I hope."

Glancing at each other before shrugging, Ken and Chris joined Red and Blue in their pursuit of Leaf, hoping that the answers to their questions were waiting just around the corner…

* * *

"It's a beautiful thing, isn't it Matt?" Gideon asked softly, his dark blue bangs falling in front of his glasses-covered eyes, obscuring them from view. "The Master ball…"

Matt flinched as the Team Rocket members surrounding them shifted their positions, all their eyes trained on him. _What are they waiting for? _he wondered, sweat trickling down the back of his neck as his Porygon eyed the men and women defensively. _What do they want from me?_

"There have been stories, you know," Gideon continued when Matt didn't reply, his voice far off and dreamy, as it had been since the purple haired Silph Co. worker had first found him. "People throwing Poké balls, Great balls, or even Ultra balls at Legendary Pokemon, only to have the ball not only break open and release the Pokemon inside, but _shatter_." Slowly, the man looked up, a crazed grin on his face. "For years, Legendary Pokemon were believed to be uncatchable! Can you imagine that? But now, now we have a way! The Master ball!"

"Which is why we can't let Team Rocket get it," Matt replied, lowering his voice to a whisper, hoping the other man would do the same. "If we tell them the password to the vault and they get it—"

"If we don't, they'll kill me," Gideon interrupted bluntly, all trace of reason seeming to come back to him all at once. "I've done my job for this company, given all that I have to give, but you…" Slowly, he looked into Matt's eyes, a sad smile on his face. "You're still young; you have so much more to give." The man let out a dry chuckle and smiled, the happiness not reaching his eyes. "Matt, I don't know the password."

"WHAT?" Matt asked, eyes widening in shock. "B-but, I thought…" he began, promptly covering his mouth; whatever that Abra had done to fix his speech was starting to wear off.

Gideon shook his head. "There are only so many people that the higher ups trust with that kind of information, Matt. It's only natural that they'd tell you, of course. After all, your mother was the one who _created_ the thing… As for me, well…let's just say that I truly have exhausted my uses…"

"Don't talk like that, Gideon!" Matt instructed, going over and sitting down next to the man. "You've t-taught me all that I know."

The older man smiled. "And yet, I never did manage to teach you to talk right!" he chuckled, causing Matt to give him a friendly shove. "Maybe you oughta hire that Abra as your speech therapist!"

Matt laughed and shook his head. "I think it adds character. Besides, he already said no!"

Instantly, the two men were laughing and smacking their knees, forgetting entirely that they were being held hostage by a criminal organization.

At least until the knife was pressed against Gideon's throat.

"Tell me the password," the Rocket growled, pushing the blade closer to Gideon's skin, "or your friend gets it!"

"N-no! P-please d-don't h-hurt G-Gideon!" Matt pleaded, his stuttering increasing to match his rising stress level.

"Then tell us the password!" the Rocket growled, holding the knife right against Gideon's throat. "Or his blood will be on your hands!"

"It's-It's-It's-It's-It's-It's-It's-It's-It's-It's—"

"Shut up and talk right!" a Rocket snapped, punching Matt in the face and causing him to cry out in pain.

"HOLD IT!"

Immediately, everyone turned towards the sound of the voice to see Leaf standing their looking triumphant, Red, Blue, Ken, and Chris looking rather embarrassed.

Pointing an accusatory finger towards Gideon, she said, "That man is a liar! He's working for Team Rocket!"

"Wh-wh-what?" Matt asked, eyes widening in shock and utter disbelief. "B-but that's imp-p-possible!"

The girl smiled. "Ralts, do your thing!"

_I have a name, _Arch replied, but complied. Closing his eyes, the Ralts stood very still for a moment, the horn on his head glowing blue. After a couple seconds, Arch opened his eyes and announced, _There's no fear, despite the fact that he has a knife to his neck, only greed, impatience, and annoyance._ Making his way over to Chris, the Ralts said, _This man is a liar. _

"B-b-but, that _can't _be true!" Matt protested, unable to believe what he was hearing. "I-I-I've w-worked with G-Gideon for y-years! There's n-no w-way—"

"Will you _shut up_?" Gideon shouted, making his way to his feet. "My God, you're giving me a headache!"

"G-G-Gideon?" Matt asked, at a complete loss for words.

"Yes, yes, I work for Team Rocket, have been working for them for several years now," Gideon sighed, face red with anger. "Now will you do us all a favor and _just stop talking_?"

"…I thought you were my f-friend."

"_Friend_?" Gideon sneered, as if the very notion were laughable. "Why would I want to be friends with _you_? My God, I swear it was always, 'Gideon, what does this d-do?' or "Gideon, I was w-wondering how the Warp Tiles connected. Could you run that by me again?' It drove me _CRAZY_!"

"I n-never st-stuttered that much," Matt replied quietly, seeming to shrink beneath Gideon's gaze. "Just when—"

"When you were under a lot of stress, right?" Gideon asked in a mocking tone. "Well, boo-hoo! People get stressed, Matt! They deal with it! Besides, it was _not _just when you got stressed, oh no, that was just when it got bad! Every time," the man seethed, glaring daggers at his former colleague. "Every time you used the word 'its' I knew I was in for one of good old Matt's stuttering sessions! Honestly, how hard is it to say the word 'its?' And why that _one word_, huh? _WHY? _I WANT YOU TO TELL ME WHY!"

Matt said nothing, clearly too shook up to say anything.

"Ah, did you all start the party without me?" a familiar voice asked, causing Ken to flinch as the familiar figure of the Team Rocket Supervisor arrived on the scene. "Good news, everybody! I managed to get the password off some wimp who actually begged me to spare his life!" A cruel smile appeared on his face as he explained, "Don't worry, Sandslash took care of him!" Ken's stomach lurched as he spotted the Pokemon a short distance away, cleaning blood off his claws. "Now, let's get what we came for!"

Everyone's eyes widened as they realized just where they were standing: right in front of the vault that contained the Master ball.

Ken and the others prepared to send out their Pokemon, but the mass of Team Rocket members moved to block their path, making it perfectly clear that they were vastly out numbered. Off to the side, Red was glancing around anxiously.

Approaching the vault, the Team Rocket Supervisor accepted the Card Key from Gideon, opening up the set of doors to reveal the vault.

"This," the man cackled evilly, "is for the glory of Team Rocket!" Typing in the password, everyone watched hopelessly as the vault clicked open. "What?" the Team Rocket supervisor asked, eyes bugging out. "That's impossible! It _can't _be!"

The vault was empty.

"WHAT? But this is what we _came here for_! _YOU_!" he snarled, rounding on a very startled looking Matt. "What did you do with the Master ball?!"

"Attention members of Team Rocket! This is Officer Jenny of the Saffron City Police Department! We have the place surrounded! Come out with your hands up!"

"WHAT?" the Team Rocket Supervisor demanded as he heard the woman's voice over the megaphone. "Gideon! I thought you disabled the security system!"

"I did!" the man protested. "I cut the wires! Knocked out the power to the silent alarm and all the elevators—"

"Pikachu!"

Everyone paused and glanced up to see Pika peeking out of one of the ceiling panels, looking very pleased with himself.

"Yeah, great job, Pika!" Red laughed, as the rodent jumped down and landed on his head.

"So…let me get this straight," the man said slowly, a look of utmost hatred on his face. "You noticed the elevators weren't working, and thought, 'Well gee, that's odd!' Then after a while, you began to wonder why the authorities hadn't shown up yet, considering the fact that the alarm _should_ have gone off by now. So, at some point, you sent that…that…_rat_," he spat, pointing a shaking finger at Pika, who sparked angrily in response, "to see what the problem was, and _hotwire the silent alarm, _thus alerting the police of our presence?"

"Pretty much," Red agreed.

The man was silent for several moments, before saying. "We're pulling out. Come on, quickly! Before the police come in here!"

"Yes sir!" the other Team Rocket members announced, saluting the man before releasing several Koffing and filling the room with Smokescreen.

"Mark my words, Mew Boy," the Team Rocket Supervisor laughed, "someday I _will _catch you!"

_Come with me, _Matt mouthed, as he cast one last pleading glance at Gideon, who shook his head before disappearing into the smoke.

* * *

"Well, the good news is, we managed to apprehend several members of Team Rocket," Officer Jenny explained, once the group had assembled outside of the Silph Co. building. "However, many are still at large."

"And Gideon?" Matt asked, still looking deeply troubled by the whole thing.

Officer Jenny shook her head. "We didn't find him. My guess is, he's still out their somewhere."

"Probably w-working for Team Rocket!" Matt spat, fists clenched.

"He was a mole, and a good one at that," Officer Jenny said gently, hoping to comfort the man. "There was no way you could've—"

"You don't understand!" Matt shouted pulling away, his face red with anger. "He was my _friend_! He-he-he-Argh! Why can't I talk right?" he screamed, clutching his head and falling onto his knees.

"Matt," Ken said gently, resting one hand on the man's shoulder, "there's nothing wrong with the way Mew talk."

_Quite right! _Xellos announced, Teleporting into view and nearly scaring everyone half to death.

"Xellos! What are Mew doing here?" Ken demanded, once his heart rate had somewhat returned to normal.

_Nothing much,_ the Abra replied casually. _Just thought you might want this!_

Everyone stared, for there in Xellos's hand was the Master ball.

"How in the _heck_ did you get that?" Ken demanded, as everyone else appeared to be in similar states of disbelief.

_Oh, I took it from the vault __**hours**__ ago, _Xellos replied dismissively, as if it were no big deal. _What, did I forget to mention that? _

"Everyone's been worried sick over this thing!" Ken shouted, fur bristling in anger. "A man gave up his life for-"

_Please, the Sandslash scratched him up quite a bit, but he'll live, _the Abra replied with a shrug, fueling Ken's anger even more. _Honestly, you should be __**thanking**__ me! Do you have __**any idea**__ how difficult it is to Teleport inside things when you don't know the interior? I could've ended up inside a wall!_

Reluctantly, Ken realized that Xellos _did_ have a point, but one thing was still bothering him. "Then why didn't you tell us sooner?"

_Well, the answer to that is…a secret! _

"Xellos! I'm gonna _kill you_!" Ken shouted, as the laughing Abra Teleported away, causing the Master ball to topple to the ground.

"Here," Matt said, reaching down and handing the ball to Red. "Since you're the one who managed to alert the police, I think you should be the one to have it." Smiling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a Pokéball. "Also, I'd like you to have this Lapras. We were st-studying it in the lab, since Lapras are so rare, but I think it would be much better off with you!"

Red stared down at the pair of Poké balls in awe, at a loss for words. "Wow, thanks Mr. Reed!"

Matt blushed at this, a rather embarrassed smile on his face. "W-w-well, you're very welcome! I'm sure Professor Oak would want you to have the Mater ball, and I know you'll be a good Trainer for Lapras! And please, call me Matt!"

"Ok, thanks Matt!"

"Pikachu!" Pika chirped, jumping up onto his Trainer's shoulder, the dried blood caked to his ear alerting Red that the rodent still needed to go to a Pokemon Center.

As the boy said his goodbyes and left, Ken turned to Chris and said, "Don't you feel like we're forgetting something?"

"Yeah," Chris acknowledged, rubbing his chin, Arch looking equally puzzled. "I just can't seem to remember what it is…"

* * *

"Ugh…where am I?" Marik groaned, sitting upright in the chair he found himself in. Glancing around the unfamiliar room, he spotted a man and a woman holding hands and grinning ear to ear. "Something exciting happen while I was out?"

"We got engaged!" the woman announced, hugging the man beside her tightly.

"Um…ok then?"

* * *

Once Ken and Chris had managed to locate Marik, who was none too happy that they had forgotten him, they then proceeded to fill their friend in on what had happened while he was out.

"Wait, Team Rocket was here?" Marik asked, eyes widening in surprise.

"Yeah," Chris replied, a frown on his face. "They tried to take the Master ball, but fortunately, they didn't succeed. They did take the data on Porygon, though," Chris admitted with a heavy sigh, "so its still pretty serious. They also took the Silph Scope that Matt was working on—"

"Uh-uh! Don't even wanna hear about that thing!" Marik interrupted, covering his ears.

"Is that why you fainted?" Chris asked, a concerned look on his face.

"No! Of course not!" Marik protested, waving his hand dismissively. "That last Heart Swap took more out of me than I thought, that's all! Nothing to worry about!"

Chris accepted his friend's answer, yet deep down had the feeling that there was something Marik wasn't telling them.

* * *

"He's going to have a scar there for the rest of his life, I'm afraid," Nurse Joy explained, as she handed the recently treated Pika back to Red. "You really should've brought him in right away! If you had, this could've been avoided!"

Red nodded apologetically, knowing that he was lucky Pika's ear hadn't been torn clean off by that Sandslash. Glancing down at the small Pokemon in his arms, the scar on his ear serving as a constant reminder of what could happen if he ever again decided to underestimate Team Rocket, he then left the Pokemon Center.

"Hey Red! How's Pika?" Leaf asked, running over to great her friend.

"He's going to have a scar, but Nurse Joy says he's going to be ok," Red replied, smiling as the Pikachu proceeded to snuggle into the girl's arms.

"See Red? Chicks dig scars!" Pika announced happily, and although his human friends couldn't understand him, he had a feeling that they got the idea.

"So, you're the wounded hero now, huh?" Blue asked, shaking his head, a slight smile on his face. "Its official, your both idiots!"

"What Blue means to say," Leaf said, shooting an annoyed glare at the boy, "is that he's glad you're both ok."

Red smiled, glad to know that no matter what, his friends would always be there for him.

"So, Pika's all right, then?" Ken asked, as he, Marik, and Chris made their way over.

"Just a scar Ken, no big deal!" Pika replied, motioning to his ear. "I'm still ready to take on anything!"

"Then perhaps you'd like a gym battle?"

Everyone jumped at the sound of the new voice, turning to see the rather amused face of the Saffron City Gym Leader, along with Will, a man, and a woman.

"Sabrina?" Ken asked, sensing that something was different about her.

"Don't worry Ken, she's back where she belongs," Sabrina replied with a knowing smile, the woman, who Ken suddenly recognized as Sabrina's mother, nodding.

"Hey, I know Mew!" Ken said, pointing towards the man with the black hair and beard. "You're the guy who made Mew dance in my underwear!"

"WHAT?" Blue asked, taken completely by surprise by Ken's statement.

"Yes, well, I _did _warn you not to go to the Saffron City Gym!" the man laughed, motioning with one hand to indicate Ken's new coat of fur. "Still, I'm glad that you didn't listen to me."

"Wait a minute," Ken said, a frown on his face. "If Mew care so much about Sabrina, and you know Sabrina's mother…then Mew must mean that you're…"

_He must have figured it out, _the man realized, a slight smile on his face. _He must have realized that I'm Sabrina's father!_

"…You're one _really_ dedicated student!" Ken exclaimed, causing everyone to face palm.

"Uh…that's right, kid," the man replied at last, not really sure what to say to that. "Just call me Mr. Psychic, everyone else does!"

Sabrina covered her mouth in amusement at this, doing her best not to laugh. Whether Ken was always this naïve or it had come about as a result of his transformation into a Mew, she wasn't sure, but was so happy to be able to smile again.

"I'd be happy to battle the two of you anytime you'd like," Sabrina told Red and Blue with a smile. "But before that, I'd like to test your skills to make sure you're ready. Will here will be your first opponent!" she explained, motioning towards the teen beside her, who appeared shocked at her declaration.

"Oh! Thank you, Sabrina!" Will replied, eyes aglow with excitement. "I promise, I wont let you down!"

"I wasn't myself before when I told you I would be terminating your apprenticeship," Sabrina explained, a reassuring smile on her face. "Truthfully, I couldn't ask for a better student!"

"Congratulations, Will!" Ken exclaimed, as the older teen's face turned a rather vivid shade of pink.

"Oh, and Ken, there's something I wanted to give you before you left," Sabrina said, causing the Mew hybrid to regard her with confusion. "It's Xellos's Poké ball," she explained, placing the red and white sphere in the teen's hand, "although, to be honest, he hardly ever uses it!"

Ken's eyes widened. "Wait, Mew mean-!"

_Yes, that's right, Ken! _Xellos chucked, Teleporting into view. _I'm going to be accompanying you on your journey! Oh, we are going to have __**such **__a fun time together! How about I carry your Lum berries for you?_ he asked, Teleporting the small bag of fruit into his hands and then floating away with them.

"Xellos! Give those back right now!" Ken shouted, immediately slipping into Pokéspeak. "I mean it, Xellos!"

"Tell me Sabrina," Chris asked, a puzzled look on his face as his friend ran after the laughing Abra, "why give Ken a Pokemon that he obviously doesn't get along with very well?"

"Now that," Sabrina replied with a huge grin, "is a secret!"

* * *

Author's notes: Welcome to the Pokémon request corner! Multiversity requested that Ken have a narcoleptic Abra! I'm not sure Xellos is exactly what you had in mind, but I hope you enjoy him nonetheless. He's sure to play an important role in future chapters! :)

And thus, the Saffron arch finally comes to a close. Thank you very much to all who have read, reviewed, and favorited this story, and rest assured, there is much more to come!

Well until next time, see ya! :)


	49. Chapter 48: How Much is That Poke Doll?

Chapter 48: How Much is That Poké Doll in the Window?

Spring had slowly given way to summer, causing the landscape to come alive with wildflowers. This delighted Ken, and he happily went about picking flowers and fashioning them into crowns, which Sora and Zoey gratefully accepted.

"My mother taught me how to do this when I was little," Ken explained in answer to his friends questioning looks. "She'd bring flowers from her garden inside and we'd fashion them into all kinds of things!"

"Sounds like a lot of fun Ken!" Sora said with a smile, trying without much success to copy her friend's creation, causing the Mew hybrid to laugh.

"I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that thing!" Sapphire protested when he offered her one, sticking out her tongue in distaste.

"You're saying flower crowns are girly?" Ken asked, causing the Mudkip to nod. "I'll have you know that this is a lot harder than it looks! You have to pick them so the stem isn't too short, and you need to be careful not to rip them when you're knotting it, and-"

"Doesn't make it any less girly!" Sapphire interrupted, causing Ken to glare at her.

"Yeah well, I happen to like flowers!" he snapped, flicking his tail in annoyance. "Besides, these are some of the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen! _So _much more beautiful than the ones in my mothers garden!"

Chris smiled at this, thankful that, for once, the Mew hybrid was able to just kick back, relax, and smell the roses—in this case quite literally.

"Well, this is getting to be a bit too happy for my taste!" Xellos groaned, an almost pained expression on his face. "I'll be in touch!" And with that, the Abra Teleported off to who knows where, though everyone knew he'd be back eventually.

Yes, in the days that followed since they'd left Saffron City, Ken was happier than Chris had ever seen him. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end…

* * *

"So, I'm pretty sure I read the map correctly this time," Chris laughed, as he and his friends sat down to dinner, "and if I'm right, we should make it to Celadon by tomorrow morning!"

"Awesome!" Marik exclaimed, a huge goofy grin on his face. "Everyone knows that the Celadon City Gym is completely populated by women! Oh I can't wait!"

Chris rolled his eyes as the Manaphy hybrid continued to rattle on and on about all the beautiful girls who would love him, frowning as he noticed that Ken seemed to be less than enthusiastic about the news.

"You ok Ken?"

"Huh? Well, yeah!" the Mew hybrid replied with a smile, though Chris didn't miss the fact that his tail was now swaying anxiously side to side.

"Come on Ken," Chris sighed. "If something's bothering you, you know you can always talk to us about it."

Ken looked hesitant for a moment before sighing. "Look at me Chris. I'm covered from head to toe in pink fur, and you just expect me to be ok about it?" He paused, running one hand across his furry face. "I barely even _look_ human! As soon as we get to Celadon, everybody's gonna stare at me like I'm some kind of freak!"

"Oh Ken," Chris sighed, placing a comforting hand on the Mew hybrid's shoulder, "its really not _that_ bad."

"Like I said before, you still look human!" Marik chimed in, a friendly smile on his face. "You're just furry, that's all!"

"Not really helping Marik," Chris sighed, resisting the urge to face palm.

"Besides, who cares what they think? You've got us, and we're not going to let anybody say anything bad about you! Anybody who makes fun of _my_ _friend_ is gonna get Heart Swapped!"

Ken chuckled at this, a grateful smile on his face. "Thanks guys."

* * *

It was clear that night, millions of stars twinkling in the night sky.

Xellos Teleported into the campsite, briefly observing the sleeping Mew hybrid and his friends before vanishing once more, reappearing a distance away amongst a group of trees. The Abra only had to wait a moment before a green glow appeared in front of him, the space around it seeming to distort.

"So, the Goddess of Time honors me with her presence!" Xellos chuckled, as a form began to take shape.

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that," Celebi sighed, though she already knew that the Abra wouldn't stop, at least, not in the current timeline. "I merely travel through time, I have no control over it."

The Abra grinned. "Ah, but doesn't simply knowing what the future entails give one the opportunity to change it?"

Celebi smiled. "But if one tries to change it, doesn't that yield yet another timeline, and in the end, are events set in stone, or are the choices one makes responsible for deciding our fate? I have lived longer than I even I can say for sure, traveling from one time to another, and still I cannot explain the thing that humans call destiny. The closest I can come to is the occasions when all timelines lead to the same outcome."

Xellos laughed. "You think too much. Destiny is in itself a byproduct of time. Your vision shows you a calm, confident Will who just so happens to be wearing the same mask that once belonged to Pennywise, and so you take steps to make your vision comes true. You say that the boy with the Pikachu has potential for greatness, so you decide to keep an eye on him so that nothing goes wrong. Isn't that why you asked me to watch over Ken? So that he will fulfill whatever future you have foreseen for him? Hmm?"

"I'm afraid that it isn't so simple, Xellos," Celebi explained, a somewhat sorrowful look in her eyes. "You gave Ken the mask to give to Will because that is what I foresaw you doing. Red is going down the path he is because that is what this timeline says he will do. I merely foresee events, Xellos. I cannot control time. Yet…time is always changing, because people and Pokemon have freewill. There are millions of different time lines because there are millions of different outcomes, yet sometimes, all paths lead to the same result, and other times…" She paused, a look of worry on her face. "Other times, I am not able to read an individuals timeline at all."

Xellos frowned. "What does that usually mean?"

"It usually means death, Xellos," Celebi replied, sorrow evident on her face. "Though there are exceptions, death is almost always involved in one way or another. There was a time when I couldn't see Mew's timeline—"

"Do you mean _the _Mew, or Ken's father?"

"Ken's father," Celebi clarified, causing the Abra's frown to deepen. "However, I now realize that the haziness is due to his connection to Ken's timeline. Xellos…I can't see Ken's timeline."

"At _ALL_?"

"After a certain point, no," Celebi explained, worry evident on her face. "That is why I want you to keep an eye on Ken for me—to keep him safe. As I said, time is a funny thing, so I don't know if it will do any good, but…"

"Celebi, is there something you're not telling me?"

The tiny fairy Legendary giggled. "Silly Xellos! With as much as I've told you, you of all Pokemon should understand why it's best not to know what the future holds!"

Xellos watched as Celebi disappeared in a flash of green light, more than a little irritated that she had just given him her version of 'It's a secret!'

Sighing, he took one last look at the place where Celebi had vanished before Teleporting back to the campsite.

* * *

Sunlight filtered in through the trees, alerting Ken that morning had arrived. Yawning and stretching himself out like a cat, he was met with the delicious scent of Chris frying up pancakes over the campfire.

"Morning Ken," the Regigigas hybrid said with a smile, scooping a couple pancakes onto a paper plate for his friend. "You ready for this?"

"As I'll ever be," Ken sighed, applying a liberal amount of syrup to his food. "After all, its not like I can just avoid people all my life."

"Well, technically you could, but that didn't really work out the first time, now did it?" Xellos laughed, Teleporting into view and snatching Ken's pancakes. "Mmm! These _are _good! My complements Chris, although I think Ken put on a bit too much syrup!"

"Xellos!" Ken shouted, making an angry grab for the Abra. "Give those back!"

"Oh come now Ken, doesn't the well being of your Pokemon come before your own selfish desires?"

"Of course it does!" Ken agreed, looking somewhat guilty.

"Well then, I think its only fair I get these pancakes!" the Abra laughed, Teleporting away before Ken could even realize that he'd been tricked.

"Xellos! Those were mine!" Ken growled, as he scanned the area for where the Abra had taken off to. "Get back here, Xellos!"

"There's plenty more Ken," Chris laughed, handing Ken a replacement breakfast. "He's just messing with you, that's all!"

"I swear, he likes seeing me miserable," Ken sighed, taking a bite of his pancake, a loud purr rumbling in his throat.

Chris laughed. "It does kinda seem that way, doesn't it? I asked Sabrina why she decided to give him to you, and she told me that it was a secret!"

"Why is everything 'a secret' when it comes to Xellos?" Ken chuckled, shaking his head.

"Now that, is a secret!" Xellos laughed, Teleporting into view and startling Ken so much he nearly dropped his pancakes. Spotting the juice box Ken had been about to open, the Abra grinned mischievously. "Now Ken, you didn't offer me anything to drink!"

"Xellos! Get back here!" Ken shouted, as the Abra promptly Teleported away with his juice box. Growling irritatedly, fur beginning to bristle, Ken turned once more to Chris, holding out his hand expectantly.

"Actually Ken, that was the last juice box," Chris admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "We'll restock on food in Celadon, but for now, you'll have to make do with water."

Ken stared at his friend in disbelief before a low growl escaped his throat, tail beginning to lash back and forth angrily.

"Hey, what's wrong Ken?" Marik asked, pausing to take a drink of his juice. "You wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

"I hate you Xellos," Ken seethed, grabbing the canteen out of Chris's backpack and taking a good long drink from it.

* * *

"Come on, Ken," Chris encouraged, placing a comforting hand on his friends shoulder, "I know you can do this!"

"Just one little step Ken!" Marik agreed with a nod, before a huge grin broke out on his face. "Just on little step before I get to meet tons of beautiful girls!"

"Oh no, you don't have any ulterior motives!" Ken replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

They'd been standing on the outskirts of Celadon City for the past ten minutes, and Ken still hadn't managed to work up the courage to head into town. Though he knew his friends would be there to support him no matter what, he still wasn't looking forward to what other people's reactions might be.

_Can't be any worse than they have been, right? _Ken reasoned, pushing the possibility that people might mistake him for a Pokemon, or worse, try and catch him, to the back of his mind.

Sighing and taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Ken finally made his way into Celadon City.

"Wow, this place is _beautiful_!" Marik gushed, as the trio entered Celadon.

Ken smiled at this, as the place truly was a sight to behold. The grass was crisp and green and there was an overall feeling of being in nature, despite the many tall buildings. As Ken took in the scent of the multitude of wildflowers that put the ones they'd seen previously to shame, he noticed that the air even smelled cleaner here.

"Well, I think the first thing we should do is get restocked on supplies," Chris said, pulling out the map from his backpack. "According to this, the Celadon Department Store should be right around-"

_WHAM!_

Chris looked up from the map in surprise as he felt something ram into him, surprise quickly melting away to concern when he realized that the something was a teenage girl who now sat sprawled on the ground looking just as surprised as he was.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Chris exclaimed, reaching down to help the girl up. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" she laughed, taking Chris's outstretched hand gratefully. "Sorry about that! I honestly wasn't watching where I was going!"

"Did it hurt?" Marik asked, glancing at the girl with what appeared to be concern.

"No, no, I'm fine!" she laughed, waving her hand dismissively. "Like I said, I really should've been paying more attention."

"Actually, I meant when you fell from heaven," Marik replied with a huge grin, causing his two friends to groan.

_So much for concern, _Ken thought to himself with a sigh. He had a pretty good idea of what was going to happen next.

But the girl actually looked shocked at his statement, her pale cheeks turning a bright crimson. "P-please don't say things like that," she whispered, staring down at her feet. "Its embarrassing…"

"But its true!" Marik exclaimed, waving his arms about dramatically as he continued to flirt with her. "You have the beauty of an angel! Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say I'd died again and gone to heaven!"

"_Again_?" the girl asked, looking increasingly uncomfortable.

As Marik began to rattle off his entire life's story, Ken took the time to notice that the girl was in fact very pretty. She had short slightly curly green hair and green eyes that seemed almost unnaturally bright, and was dressed a pair of jeans along with a plain pink t-shirt. As Ken took the time to study her a bit more carefully he noticed that she was a bit on the short side, being nearly half a foot shorter than he and Marik were. Honestly, it wasn't really surprising that she had taken a tumble when running smack into Chris. By far though, her most interesting feature was the pair of pink flowers she had in her hair on either side of her head. At first, Ken had thought that maybe they were hairclips or something, but no, there was nothing artificial about them.

_What kind of flowers are those, I wonder? _Ken thought to himself, tail twitching in curiosity. _I've never seen anything like that before…_

"And then I decided to go to Kanto and see if these Mew Boy rumors where really true, and they were!" Marik finished happily, oblivious to the fact that Ken and Chris were now letting out sighs of relief, thankful that he had finally stopped talking.

"Mew Boy?" the girl asked, her head perking up. "So, you're all…" Pausing, she spotted Ken and her eyes grew as big as saucers. "Wait! You're telling me that you're all part Pokemon? That wasn't just some really weird pick up line?"

Chris snorted at this, causing Marik to glare at him. "No, we really are part Pokemon," he explained, his antenna rising from their position amongst his hair. "But for you, I'd be anything your heart desired," he added with a wink.

The girl stared at Marik's now exposed antenna, a look of absolute shock on her face. Her green eyes shifted to Chris, back to Marik, back to Chris, before finally settling on Ken. "So…you're the Mew Boy? Why are you all furry? Is that normal?" the girl asked, crinkling her nose in what appeared to be distaste.

"I don't wanna talk about it!" Ken snapped, pushing his way past the others, fur bristling in anger and embarrassment.

Chris stared after his friend before excusing himself, returning seconds later to drag a very disappointed Marik after him, who had been busy scribbling down his Pokénav number.

They found Ken sitting by the fountain, looking thoroughly depressed. Sora nuzzled her friend's side hopefully, but the teen didn't even appear to notice, instead running his fingers through the fur on his arm with a deep frown on his face.

"Thanks for sticking up for me guys," Ken spat when his friends made their way over, tail flicking in irritation.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Chris said, taking a seat next to his friend. "You're right, we should've said something. But to be fair, you kinda stormed out of there before we could even say anything."

"Long enough for Marik to give the girl his Pokénav number," Ken snorted, to which the Manaphy hybrid chuckled and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Its gonna happen Ken," Chris said, as Sora made her way into her friends lap. "Some people are going to be less than understanding, but that doesn't mean that _everybody _is gonna be like that."

"Nobody stares at you and Marik."

"Reasons number one and two!" Marik chimed in happily, taking seat on Ken's other side and nearly landing on his tail.

"Look, growing your hair out might keep people from noticing that you have gills and antenna, but that doesn't help me any!" Ken growled, tail lashing back and forth irritatedly.

Marik sighed, giving his friend a more compassionate look. "I'm sorry Ken, but the fact of the matter is, we look more human than you do." Running a hand over one of his antenna, he added, "I'm sorry about earlier. I know I've got a bit of a problem when it comes to pretty girls."

"A bit?"

"Ok, ok, more like an obsession!" Marik admitted with a laugh, a blush coming to his face. "Ladies Man, Pig, Brock, call me what you want, I've been called worse! The point is, whenever I see a pretty girl, my brain turns to mush!" Offering his friend a small smile, he said, "Doesn't mean I don't care about my friends. Push comes to shove, I'll be there when you need me most. And that's a promise."

Ken finally managed a smile. "Thanks Marik." Standing up, Sora making her way to his shoulder he added, "But to make it up to me, you're buying me one item of my choice when we get to the Celadon Department Store!"

"_What_? But I was going to buy a Water Stone!" Marik protested.

"Should've thought of that earlier when you decided to put a girl before our friendship!" Ken laughed as he took off in search of the shop.

Pouting, Marik ran after his friend, Chris laughing hysterically at the ridiculousness of it all.

* * *

Ken wasn't sure what he had been expecting when it came to the Celadon Department Store, but this certainly wasn't it.

"Wow, that's big," Ken and Marik said in unison as they stared up at the six-story building, Sora too shocked to say anything.

"Well, it is the biggest shop in all of Kanto!" Chris laughed, amused by his friends startled expressions. "There _is _a reason that people come here from all over the world."

Marik stared at the building in silence for a moment before his eyes lit up in happiness. "SHOPPING!" he squealed joyously, dashing off into the building like a kid who had just been taken to the biggest toy store on Earth.

"Well, I guess we're all going to do our own thing," Chris sighed, shaking his head at the Manaphy hybrid's over enthusiasm. "I'll see about getting us the basics, just call me on your Pokégear when you're ready to go."

"Sure thing," Ken laughed, as the two headed into the building and went their separate ways.

The place was even more impressive on the inside, as Ken quickly discovered. The first floor was little more than a help desk, complete with a directory on the wall to his right next to the stairwell. An elevator stood on Ken's left, for those who wanted something specific and didn't feel like climbing several flights of stairs to get it. A woman sat at a desk in the center of the room, ready to answer any questions customers might have. Judging by the sheer size of the place, Ken had a feeling that she received questions pretty regularly.

Glancing briefly in the receptionist's direction, whose eyes widened when she caught sight of him, Ken made his way over to the directory on the wall.

_Floor 1: Service Counter_

_Floor 2: Trainer's Market_

_Floor 3: TV Game Shop_

_Floor 4: Wise Man Gifts_

_Floor 5: Drugstore_

_Rooftop Square: Vending Machines_

As Ken read over the directory, a sly grin slowly found its way to his face. Making his way over to the elevator, Ken stepped inside and pressed the button for the third floor. After all, if Marik was paying for it, he might as well get something fun!

As the doors slid shut, Sora turned to her friend, a look of confusion on her face.

"Ken, why are we in a closet? I thought we were going to go look at stuff!"

"It's called an elevator, Sora," Ken laughed, as the little Bulbasaur stared at him quizzically. "It'll take us where we want to go. Just watch."

Sora stared at the Mew hybrid as though he'd lost his mind for a moment, before the elevator gave a sudden jump and began moving upward, startling the young Bulbasaur so much that she jumped onto his head, with no apparent desire to get down. Even Ken had to admit that the sudden movement had surprised him, it being his first actual time in an elevator.

_This is so neat! _Mew Ken giggled from inside his head, his sheer joy causing Ken to smile. _Can we jump in it? Plllleeeeaaaase? _

_No Mew Ken, we can't jump in it! _Ken replied, trying not to laugh, though secretly, he had been thinking the exact same thing. Now that he thought about it, it had been quite awhile since he'd heard anything at all from his Pokemon counterpart. _Mew Ken? You didn't go anywhere recently, did you?_

_Go anywhere? I'm a part of you, silly! _Mew Ken giggled, unable to contain his amusement at the question. _Where would I go?_

_Hmm, I suppose that's true! _Ken admitted, chuckling at the ridiculousness of the question. Still, something was bothering him. If Mew Ken had been here the whole time, then why hadn't he so much felt his presence inside his head until now?

However, before Ken could voice his question, the elevator doors swung open once more, all worry quickly retreating to the far corners of his mind the moment he spotted the rows upon rows of video games.

As a child, Ken had always been fond of video games. They were an escape from the every day reality that was his life. With a video game, he could be anybody, travel anywhere, that he wanted. Along with the mountains of toys his mother got for him, she always made sure to get him a video game or two, and before long, his room became filled with stacks upon stacks of game cases.

Combing the shelves, he was met with titles that he'd spent long hours playing as a kid, from puzzle games, to racing games, to RPG's, and everything in-between. A smile came to his face as he spotted an old copy of Pokemon Red, recalling how he'd spent hours trying to get the Mew Glitch to work, the smile faltering slightly when he recalled what he'd named the Mew once he caught it: DADDY.

Unfortunately, the game had stopped working with age, deleting all his progress, as well as his Pokemon.

He was just about to pluck the game off the shelf, when a brightly colored banner caught his eye. _Get the latest in Pokemon Gaming: Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions available now! _

"They're remaking them?" Ken wondered aloud, unable to stop the huge grin that was finding its way to his face. He'd always loved Pokemon Red, though the game wasn't terribly accurate, and he'd always felt that it could've done with some form of conflict, not that he'd have liked it if they'd put in Team Rocket or something like that.

Still, he was curious as to how the game could've changed over the years, and eagerly paid for the game, as well as a Gameboy Advance, since he'd left his old Gameboy at home, and he doubted it would've worked anyway.

_Marik can pay me back later, _he decided, ripping open the packaging and popping in the game cartridge almost as soon as he'd left the store.

"What's that Ken?" Sora asked, staring down at the game system in her friend's hands.

"Pokemon FireRed," Ken replied, punching in his name on the intro screen. "Basically, it's a simulated Pokemon journey, you know, like for kids who aren't old enough, or aren't able, to go on a journey in real life. I had a game almost exactly like it as a kid."

"So what do you do?" Sora asked, starting to look interested.

"Train your Pokemon, get stronger, challenge gyms, stuff like that," Ken replied, walking his character to the edge of the grass like you were supposed to. Predictably, Professor Oak showed up warning him not to go out. This part of the game never made any sense to him. If Professor Oak wanted to see him, why wasn't he at the lab like he'd said he'd be? _Then again,_ Ken thought with an amused chuckle, _the game version of Professor Oak always was stupid. _"That's about it. They never programmed any other options other than gyms and the Pokemon League for you to challenge." On screen, Game Professor Oak told him to pick his starter. He'd always wondered what he did with the other two, as no one ever showed up to claim them. Ken smiled as he promptly clicked on Bulbasaur.

"Sounds a little boring to me," Sora said, adjusting her position so she could see the screen better. "Why would you want to play that when you could do it for real?"

"You know Sora," Ken mused, pausing in his gameplay, "you're right." Clicking off the game, Ken then handed it to the first kid he passed, the child's eyes widening in delight.

"Thank you Mr. Mew Boy!" the kid called, immediately immersing himself in the world of the game.

Ken just nodded and continued on his way, a smile on his face.

Yes, he'd leave the games to those who weren't able to go out and do it. They deserved to have their fun. Later on, they might discover that life wasn't like a video game, where you always came out on top, but for now, innocence was bliss.

As for Ken himself, he didn't need pixels on a screen…

…he was living it.

* * *

Marik's eyes lit up with absolute joy as he spotted one sentence that would change his life forever: _Evolution Special! Elemental Stones on sale now! _He'd always wanted a Water Stone, and although he didn't currently own any Pokemon that evolved through use of it, several of his dream Pokemon did, such as Starmie, Cloyster, Ludicolo, and the lovely Vaporeon.

_Finally! _Marik thought joyfully, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. _After years of putting it on Christmas and birthday lists, I'm finally going to have my very own Water—_

"Womanizer, womanizer, I know just what you a-a-are!"

"Oh, what now?" Marik growled, fishing his ringing Pokénav out of his pocket, as several heads turned to stare at him.

"Hey Marik, its Ken," came the sound of the Mew hybrid's voice on the other end of the line, causing the blue haired teen to grind his teeth in frustration. "How about we meet up and you buy me that one item you owe me?"

_Of course, _Marik thought with a sigh, antenna popping up briefly before he smoothed them down again. _He's going to pick something expensive, and then I wont have enough money left to buy my Water Stone! _Casting one last longing glance at the item he'd dreamed of owning, he turned back to his conversation with Ken. "What floor are you on?" he asked, trying very hard not to take out his irritation on his friend.

"The fourth floor," Ken replied, completely oblivious to his friend's displeasure. "Wise Man Gifts."

Pausing, Marik slowly turned around, resisting the urge to face palm as he spotted the familiar sight of the Mew hybrid a few feet away gazing at the display cases.

"Ken, turn around," Marik groaned, closing his Pokénav and shoving it back into his pocket with a sigh.

Ken blinked in confusion for a moment before slowly turning around to find a very unimpressed looking Manaphy hybrid staring at him. "Oh. Hi Marik."

"Hi Ken," Marik sighed, shaking his head in apparent disbelief.

Making his way over to Marik, the two then began to browse the display cases, Marik occasionally pointing out things that looked nice.

"Oooh! How about Retro Mail? I hear it's popular!" the teen chimed in, holding up an envelope with a picture of a Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle printed on it.

…or perhaps just suggesting the cheapest items the store had to offer.

"Come on, Marik," Ken sighed, turning to his friend, a slightly hurt look on his face. "Its just _one _thing. You're not too cheap to buy me just one little present, are you?"

"No, of course not," Marik replied, immediately feeling guilty. He hadn't been there when Ken had needed him, and all the Mew hybrid wanted was one little apology gift. Was that really too much to ask? Deciding that the Water Stone could wait a bit longer, Marik turned back to the display cases, determined to find something his friend would like.

"Marik! Over here! It's perfect!"

Glancing up from staring at the cover of a manga called _Pokémon Adventures, _Marik's eyes widened when he caught sight of the item his friend had chosen.

"See? It looks just like Zoey!" Ken explained excitedly, hugging the Poké Doll to his chest.

Marik stared dumbfounded at this scene, completely at a loss for words. Out of all the things his friend could get, he wanted a _stuffed toy_?

"All they have are Clefairy ones, I already checked," Ken explained, apparently interpreting his friends startled expression as 'Why didn't you pick the Bulbasaur?' "Still, isn't it just the cutest thing you've ever seen?" Ken gushed, and Marik could've sworn he heard his friends voice become a bit higher pitched than normal.

"Uh, you are Ken, right?" he asked, regarding the Mew hybrid strangely. "Not Mew Ken?"

"Of course I am Marik," Ken replied, looking confused. "Why?"

"Uh…no reason, just wondering," Marik replied, quickly backpedaling. "So, that's what you want?"

"Yep!" Ken replied happily, hugging the toy even more tightly. "I love it already!"

Shrugging, Marik went with Ken to the counter, not missing the fact that the man raised an eyebrow at the scene, to which he responded with a look that said, 'Yes-I-am-buying-a-stuffed-toy-for-my-fifteen-year -old-friend-and-I-know-it's-a-little-weird-but-ple ase-go-with-it-anyway.'

Shaking his head, the man rang up the price of the doll, which resulted in Marik's antenna standing strait up in shock, causing the man's eyes to widen even further. Hurriedly smoothing his antenna back into place and handing the man his money, Marik left the store, his heart practically beating out of control within his chest. Ken just smiled and thanked the Manaphy hybrid, hugging his new doll and giggling happily in a way that still struck Marik as being very 'un-Ken-like.'

Sighing and shaking his head, Marik headed into the elevator with Ken and the two headed down to the second floor.

_Chris should be just about done stocking up on supplies, _the Manaphy hybrid thought to himself as the elevator began its descent. _And then maybe we can stop by the Celadon City Gym! I bet its full of cute girls! _An image of several girls carrying flower baskets and smiling at him popped into Marik's head, causing him to grin broadly. "Look out ladies, here I come!"

Ken eyed his friend strangely, not sure where in the world that had come from, before shrugging and hugging the plush doll in his arms.

Marik regarded this action with more than a little unease. _And maybe Chris can help me figure out what's up with Ken, he seems a little off today._

As the elevator doors swung open, Marik couldn't help but laugh as he spotted Chris trying to shove his latest purchase into his already overstuffed backpack, without much success.

"Perhaps you should get a larger backpack," Arch sighed, rolling his eyes. "This one seems to have reached its limit."

"It'll fit!" Chris insisted, shoving the box of instant oatmeal into the bag and struggling with the zipper. "Besides, this is the type of backpack hikers use! I honestly don't think they make them much bigger!"

Arch sighed, though he knew that his friend had a point. Compared to the travel size backpacks Ken and Marik owned, Chris's backpack was gigantic; complete with several pocket—both inside and out—as well as possessing strings to tie down additional items, how the backpack managed to get full was beyond him.

"Then perhaps you should ask your friends to help you carry some of these things?" he said at last, hoping he would at least be able to convince his friend that the oatmeal _was just not going to fit_.

"No, I'm sure they have things of their own to carry," Chris laughed, now turning the oatmeal on its side, as if that would somehow make it smaller.

"At least ask them," Arch sighed, leaning against the wall and making himself comfortable. "Otherwise we'll be here all day."

"Hey Chris, having trouble?" Marik asked in an innocent tone, though it was clear that he was trying hard not to laugh.

"You could say that," Chris agreed, sighing and shaking his head. "Where's Ken?"

Marik blinked. "What do you mean? He's right…over there…" Marik sighed, as he spotted Ken a short distance away drooling over the candy they had on sale.

"Aw, leave 'em be!" Chris laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "Its not like we're going to be back here anytime soon! By the way, did you buy him that apology gift yet?" Chris asked with a teasing grin.

Marik groaned. "Yep. Get this: he wanted a Poké Doll."

Chris's eyes widened in surprise. "Poké Doll? You mean the stuffed toy that looks like a Clefairy?"

The Manaphy hybrid nodded. "That's the one."

"Hmmm…that's strange," Chris said with a frown. "I didn't know Ken was into that kind of thing… It was _Ken_ right? Not Mew Ken?"

"It was Ken alright," Marik agreed with a nod. "I already checked. Although it did strike me as kinda weird."

Chris shrugged. "Mew love toys of any kind, you know. It really isn't _that_ unusual."

"Do you think it has something to do with Ken's transformation?" Marik whispered, as if afraid that the Mew hybrid might hear him.

"Could be," Chris admitted, glancing over to his friend, who now appeared to be trying to decide between some chocolate bars or a jumbo lollipop. "Or it could be that more of his Mew-like behavior is starting to show. And if it is, is that really such a bad thing?"

Marik regarded the Regigigas hybrid with confusion, not sure what his friend was getting at. "What do you mean?"

"Well, think about it. Ken's basically been denying he's part Pokemon for the past fifteen years. If he ever wants to be happy, he needs to learn to accept that part of him. You remember what happened to Sabrina…"

Marik cringed at this memory. Whether she meant to or not, the Saffron Gym Leader was largely responsible for Ken's most recent changes. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

* * *

"What do you think, Sora?" Ken asked, staring at the rows upon rows of candy, tail twitching excitedly. "The chocolate bars or the jumbo lollipop? Of course, I always did love gummy worms… Huh. This is harder than I'd thought…"

"You eat _WORMS_?" Sora asked, a disgusted look on her face.

"No, no, they _look_ like worms, but they're not _really _worms!" Ken laughed, trying his best to explain the concept.

"Like how ice cream isn't really snow?" Sora asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"Yes, exactly like that! They wouldn't make candy out of _real _worms!"

"Although it's probably a good thing they based the design off of common earth worms instead of Weedle and Caterpie!" a voice behind Ken chuckled, causing him to jump in surprise.

Turning around, Ken spotted a man with red hair watching him, an amused smile on his face. What really caught Ken's attention, however, was the man's unusual outfit, which included a large cape. Several identical looking capes could be seen poking out of the shopping bag swung over the man's right arm.

"Do I know you?" Ken asked, unable to shake the feeling of familiarity that washed over him, blushing as he realized that he had used Pokéspeak.

"Oh, I wouldn't doubt it!" the man laughed, causing Ken's eyes to widen in surprise.

"You can understand me?"

The man nodded. "That's right. The dialect is a little different than what I'm used to, but I can understand you just fine!"

"You mean, you can talk to Pokemon?" Ken asked, eyes widening even more.

The man laughed and shook his head. "No, just Dragon type Pokemon, or those with dragon blood."

"Dragon blood?" Ken asked, tail twitching in curiosity.

"Pokemon similar to dragons, such as Charizard, Aerodactyl, and Gyarados," the man clarified, never losing his friendly smile.

"Then how do I fit in?" Ken asked, feeling rather confused.

"Well, Mew is said to contain the DNA of every species of Pokemon, right?" the man asked, to which Ken nodded. "Well then, doesn't it stand to reason that you would have the genes of all Dragon type Pokemon within you?"

Ken pondered the statement for a moment before nodding. "I guess that would make sense…" Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Hey! I know you! You're Lance of the Pokemon League's Elite Four!"

"Yes, that's right," the man chuckled, as if amused that it had taken Ken that long to figure it out. "I must admit, it is rather nice to have a conversation with someone without them asking for my autograph, though I bet you get your fair share of that yourself!"

"Well, not autographs so much, but people do tend to stare at me everywhere I go…" Ken admitted, glancing down at his furry arms self-consciously.

Lance smiled and nodded. "I get that a lot, too. Must be the outfit!"

The two burst out laughing at this, not even caring when several heads turned in their direction.

"At least people like you," Ken sighed, once he had finally managed to calm down. "People just kinda stare at me like something's wrong with me…"

"And how do you know that people don't like you?" Lance asked with a grin.

"Huh?"

"Your situation is unique; there will be some who don't understand, but there are others who are genuinely fascinated by you and wish to get to know you. If you'd let them, of course." Smiling, Lance gestured to his shopping bag. "I _could_ order whatever I wanted and have it delivered, after all, the Pokemon League would certainly allow it. But I find that I'd rather go out and breathe the fresh air and do a little sight seeing, even if I do have to deal with people staring at me everywhere I go. You know what I mean?"

Ken nodded, a smile on his face. "Yeah, I think I do. Thanks Lance."

"Anytime." Adjusting his hold on his bag, he said, "Well, I'd better get going! I have a few things to take care of, and I really can't afford to put them off any longer! That's the price of being a member of the Elite Four, I guess!" Lance laughed, heading towards the door. "Goodbye Ken. I hope our paths cross again someday!"

Ken just stood their waving dumbly, unable to believe that he had just spent the last several minutes talking to _the _Lance.

* * *

"Oh please, you did not!" Marik said as the group made their way out of the Celadon City department store, Chris still carrying the box of instant oatmeal.

"I'm telling you, its true!" Ken insisted, more than a little annoyed that his friend didn't believe him.

Marik snorted. "Oh come on, Ken! Why in the _world_ would Lance come _here_? He's probably back at the Indigo Plateau right now, taking on challengers!"

"Actually, the Kanto League Tournament doesn't start till next spring, and even the Johto League Tournament wont be due till this fall," Chris chimed in, causing his friends to stare. "Until then, the Elite Four and Champion are pretty much free to do what they want."

Marik stopped walking and turned to look at the Regigigas hybrid, an annoyed look on his face. "Honestly Chris, is there anything you don't know?"

Ken burst out laughing at this, as Chris's face turned red with embarrassment and he struggled to come up with a response to that. Though he hated the way everyone constantly stared at him, he knew he wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

* * *

Back at the Viridian City Gym, Giovanni turned to the overhead monitor, Gideon's face appearing on screen.

"Tell me Gideon," he said, running a hand over his Persian's head, the cat letting out a contented purr, "how did the raid on Saffron go?" He'd already received several reports from his many underlings informing him of their apparent failure, but perhaps something positive was accomplished despite the three children and the Mew Boy's interference?

Gideon coughed nervously before clearing his throat and delivering his report. "Regrettably, we did not manage to obtain the Master Ball… However, we did manage to acquire the data on Porygon, as well as the Silph Scope that you asked for," the man explained, holding up the pair of goggles, as well as a small compact disk.

"Excellent. Proceed with the production of Porygon. Have them shipped to the Game Corner in Celadon City as soon as possible. Trainers are sure to pay handsomely for such a rare Pokemon," Giovanni instructed, his Persian purring in agreement. "As for the Silph Scope, I will come to retrieve it as soon as possible. For now, store it with the rest of the inventory in Celadon."

Gideon was about to question what it was his boss wanted with the Silph Scope in the first place, but wisely held his tongue.

"Now, unless you have anything else you have to report, I really must see how our dear friend the professor is doing," Giovanni said, preparing to stand.

"There is one more thing sir," Gideon replied, catching the man's interest. "Before we were forced to flee Silph Co., I managed to pick up this."

Giovanni stared at the blueprint in Gideon's hands, a cruel smile forming on his face. "Is that what I think it is?" The man nodded, causing the Rocket Boss's smile to grow. "Then everything is going according to plan…"

* * *

As the group left the Celadon Department Store, now restocked with supplies, Chris turned his attention once more to the box of instant oatmeal in his arms, Arch nodding at him encouragingly.

"Hey guys…uh…do you think you could help me carry some of this stuff? My backpacks pretty much full to bursting here!" Chris laughed nervously, looking a bit embarrassed to be asking this of his friends.

"Sure Chris, we'll help you!" Ken replied happily, Marik nodding in agreement.

"Although I gotta admit, watching you struggle to fit that oatmeal in your backpack was priceless!" Marik laughed, causing Ken to glare in his direction. "What? It was pretty obvious the thing wasn't going to fit! My only regret is that I didn't get a shot of it for YouTube!"

Ken just sighed at this, briefly wondering if Marik really _did_ post all those videos he took on YouTube, then decided he'd rather not know.

Taking a seat next to the fountain, the group then began cleaning out Chris's backpack, Ken and Marik's eyes widening when they caught sight of all the items he'd been carrying.

"Jeez, Chris," Marik groaned, pulling out at least a dozen cans of Pokemon Food. "What'd you do, buy out the whole department store?"

"Just wanted to be prepared," the Regigigas hybrid muttered, looking rather embarrassed.

The first step was easy, as the cans of Pokemon Food were small and easily divided between the three Trainers. Ken also took the book on Mew Bill had given him back from Chris, although simply picking it up nearly caused him to topple over.

After that though, things went less smoothly than expected…

"What?! There's _no way_ that I'm carrying the pancake mix! This stupid book already weighs at least ten pounds!" Ken protested, motioning towards the book he'd gotten from Bill.

"Well _I'm _not carrying it! What if it spills and gets my stuff all dusty? Besides, its not _that heavy_!" Marik retaliated, arms crossed.

"I'm already carrying a couple bags of ramen noodles, a few granola bars, and a bag of trail mix," Ken pointed out. "What are _you _carrying?"

Marik looked irritated for a minute, then began to fidget nervously. "Stuff."

"Stuff huh?" Ken asked, tail flicking irritably. "Well, let's just see!"

"Hey! Give that back!" Marik protested, as Ken snatched his backpack from him and tossed it to Chris. "That's private!"

"Relax Marik," Chris laughed as he unzipped his friends' backpack. "We're just going to help you downsize it a little. Besides, whatever you have in here couldn't _possibly_ be that bad!" Reaching a hand into the bag, he frowned in confusion as he pulled out a bottle of shampoo. "Herbal Essence?"

"That's not mine," Marik muttered, a blush coming to his face.

After pulling out six identical bottles of Herbal Essence shampoo, Chris finally came to the next item. "Nail file?"

"That's not mine," Marik insisted, face turning an even brighter shade of red.

Chris just sighed and shook his head before pulling out the next item, eyes widening in obvious surprise. "Eyelash brush?"

"That is _definitely _not mine."

"I've said it before and say it again," Ken laughed. "Marik, you are _way_ too concerned with your appearance!"

"Hey, don't get on my case just because I take pride in my personal hygiene!" Marik protested, antenna waving about furiously as he attempted to hide his ever-growing blush.

"Still, don't you think that six bottles of shampoo is a bit…much?" Chris asked, regarding the items he'd taken out of Marik's backpack with a confused frown. "And what's with the nail file and eyelash brush?"

"Having nice nails and full lashes are excellent ways to further enhance one's appearance," Marik muttered, glancing down at the ground and fiddling with one of his antenna. "So maybe I put in a little too much effort to make myself look nice for the ladies, everybody's got their weird habits!"

"Actually, I'm surprised you didn't have a hair dryer in there!" Ken laughed.

"No, it takes the moisture out of my hair and makes it frizzy," the Manaphy hybrid replied, causing his friend to stop laughing and gape at him.

"Ok, like you said, everybody's got their weird habits," Chris interjected, hoping to get this over with quickly and save his friend from any further embarrassment. "Let's just take out a few of these things to avoid getting to the point of obsession…" He paused, pulling out a small black case. Flipping it open, he was met with the sight of a pair of dark framed glasses.

Spotting the eyewear and Chris's questioning look, Marik quickly shouted, "Ok, I know I've said it before, but those are most _**definitely**_not mine!"

"You wear glasses Marik?" Chris asked, a confused frown on his face. "I know I've never seen them before—"

"Because THEY'RE NOT MINE!" Marik shouted, jumping to his feet and looking more than a little irritated. "I'll have you know that I have perfect twenty-twenty vision!"

"What's that sign over there say?" Chris asked, pointing to a sign a few feet away.

"Ha! That's easy!" Marik replied with a wave of his hand. "It says…uh…er…" He paused, squinting at the sign, a slight frown on his face. "Um…Well, its so obvious, it'd be stupid of me to tell you!" he said at last, crossing his arms, a very proud smile on his face. "So, why don't we clean out some of my stuff, and I'll take the pancake mix and some of the ramen noodles, and then we'll see if the instant oatmeal will fit in Chris's bag yet!" he laughed, turning to grab his stuff, only to be stopped by Chris.

"Marik," Chris said gently, placing a hand on his friends shoulder, "what does the sign say?"

Marik bit his lip before replying, "Do not swim in fountain?"

Chris sighed and shook his head. "Not even close. Its an add for the Celadon Department Store."

The Manaphy hybrid grimaced as his friends turned to him, looking both concerned and confused. "Ok, so maybe my vision isn't perfect," he said at last, trying his best to avoid looking his friends in the eye. "I've had glasses ever since I was a little kid, although I don't really wear them," Marik admitted, fiddling with one of his antenna nervously. "Look, my vision may not be perfect, but I don't need those stupid glasses! I can see just fine without them!"

"Marik, you couldn't even read a sign a few feet in front of you," Ken pointed out, less than convinced.

"If it had been closer, I could have!" Marik protested, arms crossed.

"How do things look up close?" Chris asked, rather concerned by his friends reluctance to wear his glasses.

"Fine!" Marik snapped, growing irritated that his friends wouldn't let the matter drop. "I've never shown any signs of having trouble seeing where I'm going, have I? So I can't read signs unless I'm standing right next to them, so what? I can see everything else just fine, it's just a little blurry, that's all!"

"Marik, 'a little blurry' isn't fine," Chris sighed, shaking his head. "Wouldn't you like to be able to see more clearly?"

"I'm not wearing those glasses," Marik protested, arms crossed. "I look completely ridiculous in them!"

"Oh come on, Marik!" Ken laughed. "It can't be _that_ bad!"

Silently, Marik walked over to Chris, took his glasses, and put them on.

His friends managed to keep a straight face for about five seconds before being consumed with hysterical laughter.

"You see?" Marik growled, ripping the glasses off his face and shoving them back into their case. "I look awful in those glasses! All the girls will take one look at me, laugh until they can't breathe, then leave before I can even say, 'Hi, I'm Marik. Here's my number!' No thank you!"

"What about contact lenses?" Chris asked, once he could breathe again. "You can't even see them when they're in."

"I tried it once," Marik admitted, shaking his head. "They irritated my eyes, so I went back to glasses."

"And by 'went back to glasses' you mean 'continued not wearing glasses and ignored the problem,'" Chris clarified, to which Marik shrugged.

"I don't see what the big deal is, anyway," the Manaphy hybrid said, clearing out some of the excess items from his bag and shoving the pancake mix inside, along with a few packages of ramen noodles. "Besides, their _my eyes_, not yours. I'd really prefer that you let me make my own decisions about them."

Swinging his bag over one shoulder, Marik began walking, his friends joining him shortly after discovering that Chris now had enough backpack space once more. Though they wanted to help their friend, it was true that it was really Marik's problem, and they'd have to let him deal with it however he saw fit.

* * *

Since it was around noon at this point, the group decided to grab lunch at the local restaurant, which Chris insisted was a very popular place to eat in Kanto. Things went much smoother after that, and soon the trio was laughing and talking about all of the things they wanted to do in Celadon before they moved on to the next city.

"Before we leave, we absolutely _must _visit the Celadon City Gym!" Marik announced, taking another bite of his cheeseburger. "Everybody knows that it's full of nothing but beautiful girls!"

"Who would probably throw you out for spying on them like a creep," Chris sighed, shaking his head. "From what I've heard, they've got a pretty strict policy about that. Trust me Marik, it's a bad idea."

Ken nodded in agreement, though he had a different reason for not wanting to go. Misty had warned him previously about some of the Gym Leaders being members of Team Rocket and, given recent events, he was in no hurry to tangle with the criminal organization again anytime soon.

"Its not spying if you walk in through the door!" Marik protested with a sly grin. "Besides, its not like I'd be doing anything creepy!"

Ken and Chris doubted this very much considering how their friend usually treated women, but decided there was no point in getting into another argument.

* * *

After lunch Marik predictably made a beeline for the Celadon City Pokemon Gym, his friends following rather reluctantly behind him.

"I'm telling you, it'll be fine!" the Manaphy hybrid insisted with a wave of his hand, unable to hide the huge grin that was making its way to his face. "Trust me, I happen to have a way with women!"

"We know," Ken sighed, rolling his eyes. "That's the problem."

Marik frowned at this, his antenna popping up in irritation before he smoothed them down again. "Fine, be that way! _I'm_ going inside. You two spoil sports can wait out here if you want." And with that, he turned and headed through the gym doors.

Ken sighed and shook his head. "Three…"

"Two…" Chris laughed.

"One."

"GET OUT OF HERE YOU CREEP!"

"Call me!" Marik cried, as he was thrown rather forcefully out the door.

"So, how'd it go?" Ken asked knowingly, as Chris helped the Manaphy hybrid to his feet.

"Well, the girls in there were very nice, and gave three very good reasons for why I'm to never, _ever_ come back. One, I'm not looking to challenge Erika for a Gym Badge; two, I'm a guy; and three, and I quote, I'm a disgusting creep who has a total lack of respect for women."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Ken said with a nod, as Chris tried very hard not to laugh. "Come on, I'm sure there are plenty of other exciting places to see in Celadon."

Marik sighed and nodded, still rather disappointed that they had thrown him out so quickly.

As the trio left the Celadon Gym, they failed to notice the doors open a crack, a pair of green eyes staring at their retreating forms as they headed off for their next destination.

* * *

Author's notes: Hey, everybody! Long time no see! Sorry about the huge gap between updates, but I really needed some time to think about this fanfic, both in regards to the plot, and my reason for writing it in the first place. Updates will be slow for awhile, but on the plus side, this means that I can take the time to make them longer, and hopefully better, than if I tried to rush through things. Also in regards to the longer than usual gap between updates, this fanfic **ISN'T** dead, nor do I have any intentions of giving up on it. Please excuse this long semi-rant, and I will try to get the next chapter out when I can. :)

In regards to Pokemon Firered/Leafgreen being mentioned, yes, they _do _exist in New Species, but as Ken mentioned already, there are a number of differences, such as the lack of a rival character or Team Rocket.

Well, I think that's it! I'd like to take this time to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, and favorited this story for their patience during this downtime, and assure everyone that I'm going to keep working on this story, though perhaps at a bit slower pace. :)


	50. Chapter 49: We Are Family

Chapter 49: We Are Family

"So, I think we've seen just about everything there is to see in Celadon City," Chris said as he looked up from the map, _pretty sure_ he was reading it correctly.

"_Already?_" Ken asked, an obvious look of surprise on his face. "It took us _days_ to get through Saffron, and even then I don't think we covered everything!"

"Well, we _were_ pretty busy then, Ken," Chris pointed out, giving the map another once over. "There really isn't much else to see…although I did hear some people at the restaurant talking about a new Game Corner…and I guess there's always the Celadon Mansion. I hear they're always happy to have visitors, and even give out tea to guests on occasion."

"Sounds boring," Marik replied, kicking a pebble that happened to be in his path with obvious disinterest. "What's this Game Corner thing about?"

"Well, judging by what the people at the restaurant had to say, it's basically a casino that offers Pokemon related prizes in exchange for coins. I heard a guy at the restaurant say that they had some pretty rare stuff, too. TM's, rare items, and even Pokemon."

"_Pokemon_?" Ken asked, unable to believe that he had heard his friend correctly.

"Yeah, they're giving out Pokémon as slot prizes like they're some kind of objects to be bought and sold," Chris explained with obvious distaste. "A lot of the town's citizen's have been complaining that it's bad for the city's image and, quite frankly, I'd have to agree with them."

There was an awkward silence as the information hung in the air, all three Trainers looking rather uncomfortable. It was Marik who finally broke the tension.

"So…who's up for tea?"

* * *

The Celadon Mansion turned out to be a fairly large building, nearly rivaling that of the Celadon Department Store. Ken and the others stared in awe at the structure, not having expected to see so many tall buildings so soon after leaving Saffron City.

Still, it seemed welcoming enough, and the trio wasted no time in heading inside.

An old woman surrounded by many Pokemon sat at a table as they entered the first room, her startled expression quickly evaporating into a smile.

"Welcome," she said, patting her Meowth on the head before standing to address the group properly. "I'm the manager of the Celadon Mansion. May I offer you some tea?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you," Chris said, before Marik had the chance to voice his distaste.

"Not a problem at all!" the woman laughed, as she went to prepare the tea. "I don't get many visitors anymore, so it's always nice to see new faces. There are only two guests staying here right now, actually… Oh, don't worry, I have my Pokemon here to keep me company!" the woman explained with a warm smile when she caught sight of the trio's troubled expressions. "Meowth even brings money home on occasion, so it's not as though the business is suffering!"

The Pokemon purred in agreement, rubbing up against his owner's legs as she handed out the tea to everyone. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Ken, but she only smiled at him and told him to enjoy his tea, for which he was grateful.

Soon, a light conversation opened up, the old woman asking them a few things about themselves, smiling and listening politely as they each told their stories, never once interrupting, even when they got to a few of the more unusual parts of their journey.

Ken and the others soon let their Pokemon out to play with the woman's Pokemon, and before long, the group of Pokemon was running around the room engaged in a rather large game of tag, though Arch chose to sit quietly watching and Xellos was still nowhere to be found. Ken wished he could have let Shade out to join in the fun as well, but due to the sea serpents enormous size, knew that was probably a bad idea.

"Since you're here," the woman said after about an hour, "why don't I take you on a tour of the building? You know, I really don't get many visitors!"

"That would be great!" Chris replied, as Ken nodded in agreement and Marik decided to take the opportunity as an excuse for not finishing his tea.

The woman smiled and led them to a staircase they hadn't noticed before, taking care not to step on her Meowth's tail as he trailed behind her.

"This room serves as a library," she announced as the reached the second floor, motioning with one arm towards the pair of bookshelves. "I know it's not much, but I try to keep it stocked with the more popular books and magazines like Pokemon Journal."

Ken briefly skimmed the selves, resisting the urge to face palm as he spotted Marik reading an article discussing the top five prettiest women out of the Kanto and Johto Gym Leaders and Elite Four.

As the group continued on to the third floor, Ken, Chris, and Marik stared in stunned silence as they became aware of the other presence in the room.

A lone figure sat at a nearby desk typing away at a keyboard, their gaze never shifting from the computer screen. A Mew costume covered every inch of their body, the artificial tail draped over the back of the chair like an old sock. Briefly, the figure turned in their direction, the sewn on blue eyes of the Mew mask seeming to study them for a moment, before they turned back to the computer screen, the sound of the keys clicking even more furiously resonating throughout the room.

Noticing their shocked expressions, the old woman laughed and said, "Oh don't worry, that's only The Author!"

"The Author?" Ken, Chris, and Marik echoed, still completely confused.

"Well, that's the name they gave me when they checked in a few days ago," the woman explained, gaze shifting to the figure at the computer. "Said they needed some inspiration, and just sat down and began typing away, just like that. Haven't said a word since."

"And the Mew costume…?" Ken prompted, feeling more than a little unsettled by the whole thing.

"Something about it being their favorite Pokemon and not wanting to disrupt continuity by showing up as the real thing," the woman replied with a shrug. "A little odd, but completely harmless, I assure you."

The trio exchanged glances before shrugging, slowly making their way towards the stairs as the woman continued their tour.

As the group of people ascended the staircase, The Author paused long enough to watch them go, before getting back to work.

* * *

"Well, this is it! The rooftop!" the woman explained, pausing to catch her breath.

As the group looked out over the edge of the building, the sun could just be seen setting in the distance, bathing the town below them in an orange glow.

_Oooh! It's so pretty! _Mew Ken giggled from inside Ken's head, causing the Mew hybrid to smile and nod in agreement. Getting to see all sorts of sights and meet all sorts of people…for Ken, that was one of the greatest experiences in the world, and one of the main reasons he'd set out on his journey. Sora and Zoey sat on his shoulders, their expressions equally full of delight.

"Now this," Arch said with a slight smile as he stared out at the city, "I like."

"Why? They have sunsets just like this all over the place!" Kyo pointed out from his position on Chris's shoulder, causing the Ralts to roll his eyes. "What's the big deal?"

"I like it," Jerry said softly, a small shy smile on his face.

"Thank goodness!" Arch sighed in relief. "Someone who appreciates some of the simpler things in life—"

"Reminds me of fire!" the Quilava laughed, his flames igniting.

"…Never mind."

"What's this?" Marik asked, pointing to the door behind them.

Ken frowned, his tail twitching curiously. He hadn't noticed that before…

"Oh, that's where my other guest is staying," the woman explained with a smile, looking as though she were trying not to laugh. "Very interesting man! He…oh, well just read the nameplate he had me put on the door! That'll explain it rather nicely!"

"'I know everything!'" Marik read from the piece of paper stuck to the door, an amused look on his face. "Huh. Sounds like my uncle."

"You mean the one that told you what tuna is?" Chris asked, recalling his earlier conversations with Marik.

"And the one who told you that their was no Hair Fairy?" Ken added, looking like he was also trying not to laugh.

"Yep, that's the one!" Marik replied with a nod, Sapphire looking like she felt she had the most embarrassing Trainer on the planet.

"Ah, visitors!" came the sound of a man's voice from behind the door, followed by footsteps. "Come to hear what my infinite knowledge has to say, have you? Don't worry, I know everything!"

"Still sounds like my uncle!" Marik chimed in, Sapphire seriously beginning to wonder if she should just Water Gun him and get it over with.

"Its always good to gain knowledge!" the man continued, opening the door. "Why, I traveled far and wide in order to learn all that I have toda—Marik?"

"UNCLE?" the Manaphy hybrid asked, eyes widening in surprise as his antenna stood straight up, for once not even bothering to smooth them back down again.

Sapphire stared at the man with her mouth hanging open in disbelief before toppling off her Trainers shoulder and landing at his feet with a small thump.

Ken stared in shock at the scene, not expecting to run into any of Marik's relatives all the way in Kanto. The Manaphy hybrid appeared to be in a similar state of confusion, his mouth hanging open as he struggled to find something to say, succeeding only in making a bunch of incoherent noises that made absolutely no sense.

Finally, Marik seemed to regain his composure enough to form a rather intelligent sounding sentence. "_Huh_?"

"Well, surprise, surprise!" the man laughed, a huge grin finding its way to his face. "Didn't expect to see you here, Marik! Come in, come in! We've got some catching up to do!" the man laughed, ushering the group inside, Marik looking as though he were being led right into the clutches of Team Rocket.

Marik's uncle wasn't exactly how Ken had pictured him when he'd first heard of the man. Yes, Marik had described him as a loud and annoying killer of dreams, but somehow he'd expected all of Marik's relatives to have blue hair. As it was, this man was fairly tall and currently dressed in a white karate uniform, the matching white headband doing little to contain the man's wild and unruly blond hair that stuck out in all directions. The only thing that even remotely seemed to resemble Marik was the pair of startlingly familiar green eyes that seemed to twinkle above the man's massive superior looking grin. This guy was full of himself, something that they already knew his nephew shared to some degree.

"So…you're Marik's uncle?" Chris asked from his position on the couch, hoping to break the tension in the room.

"That's right!" the man replied with a laugh, his grin growing. "His mother is my older sister!" Reaching out, he wrapped an arm around Marik's shoulder, causing the Manaphy hybrid to groan. "Can't you just see the resemblance?"

"Uh, sure!" Chris replied, though he really couldn't. "Its…uh, in the eyes!"

The man snorted, quickly consumed in uncontrollable laughter. "Here, maybe this'll help!" Taking out his wallet, he pulled out a photo and handed it to Chris. "See, that's me and his mother when we were around your age."

Chris stared at the photo, Ken leaning over to see as well. The image depicted a pair of teenagers standing side by side. The boy, Marik's uncle, appeared to be around fourteen while the girl, Marik's mother evidently, looked to be about sixteen. The two teens regarded the picture for a moment, eyes slowly widening as the similarities began to take shape. The girl stood there with her arms crossed, a small smile playing on her lips as she looked towards the camera, her green eyes sparkling with amusement. She was dressed in jeans and a simple black t-shirt, her long blonde hair stopping around her waist. Ken and Chris did a double take; she looked like a blonde female Marik.

The man chuckled. "See? What'd I tell you?" Putting the photo back in his wallet he said, "Runs in the family!"

"Blonde hair and green eyes?" Chris questioned, to which the man nodded. Casting a quick glance in Marik's direction, Chris prepared to ask Ken's unspoken question. "How—"

"I was born blonde," Marik replied, before Chris could even finish his sentence. "And then I died, Manaphy brought me back to life, I grew gills and antenna, and my hair turned blue. I thought we'd been over this already," he sighed, looking more than a little irritated that they were discussing his past with his uncle, who he apparently had a dislike for.

"Oh," Ken said, not sure what else to say. Somehow, he just couldn't picture Marik with blonde hair and no antenna.

"Yes, scared us all that day," Marik's uncle acknowledged, immediately turning serious. "We…we thought we'd lost you," he said quietly as he glanced over at Marik, who appeared surprised to hear that from his uncle. "But then, a miracle happened!" the man announced, his huge grin back in place. "Manaphy—the fabled Prince of the Sea—actually showed up _right outside_ the hospital window, and jumped—Oh, I should mention, we come from Slateport, so the ocean is _right there_ next to, well, everything! Anyway, and _jumped_ in through the window! Isn't that something? Anyway, it did this thing with these lights—"

"Heart Swap," Marik groaned, not really appreciating that his uncle was making such a terrible event as his death sound like something heroic. "It was a variation of the move Heart Swap."

"Right!" the man laughed, not the least bit deterred. "Anyway, it used Heart Swap on Marik, or something like it, and then, a miracle happened! My nephew, my poor, innocent nephew who had not even begun to live, _came back to life! _"

"Just kill me again now," Marik muttered, clearly miserable, though his uncle didn't appear to notice.

"Granted, his hair turned blue and he grew these weird gills and antenna," the man laughed, gently lifting up one of the Manaphy hybrid's antenna as if to demonstrate, "but even if he looks a little strange, he's still our Marik!"

"Thank you, Uncle," Marik sighed, obviously insulted. Honestly, Ken and Chris were surprised he hadn't Heart Swapped the man. Clearly, Marik had a great deal of patience when it came to his uncle.

"So, you're probably wondering what I'm doing here, am I right?" the man asked Marik with a huge grin.

"Well I was, but now I just wish you'd go away," Marik replied, not really expecting his uncle to hear him.

"Well, I came out here to Kanto in order to expand my vast amount of knowledge," the man explained excitedly to his nephew, who only appeared to be pretending to listen. "Now I know karate!" In order to demonstrate, he stood and fired off a kick, nearly knocking over a lamp and taking out a potted plant in the process.

"Yay," Marik replied unenthusiastically, resting his head in his hand as his uncle continued to chatter on and on about his experiences.

"Anyway, I'd tell you more, but that's really best done over a nice dinner!" the man laughed, turning his attention to Ken and Chris. "I hope you all like tuna caesural!"

Marik visibly paled, and Chris quickly scrambled for an excuse to get them out of there without offending the man.

"Actually, we're…kind of meeting someone for dinner already," Chris quickly explained, Marik letting out a sigh of relief. "Maybe some other time?"

"Of course!" the man laughed, a huge smile on his face. "I really shouldn't drop a dinner invitation on you out of the blue considering how busy you must be!" Wrapping one arm around Marik, he said, "Don't worry, I know how hectic life is for young people when they first set out on a journey! After all, I know everything!"

Marik managed to force a smile at this, returning the partial hug. "Well, thank you very much Uncle, we really had a fun time listening to all your great stories!" the Manaphy hybrid chuckled, though it looked like it pained him to use the word 'fun' to describe their experience. "We should do it again some time!"

The man smiled. "Of course! And don't worry; by then, I'll have even _more _stories to tell you!"

Smiling and bidding farewell to his uncle, Marik and the others left the Celadon Mansion, pausing briefly in order to thank the nice old lady for her hospitality.

"Gee Marik," Ken chuckled, as they made their way through the streets of Celadon, a small grin on his face. "You sure have an interesting uncle!"

"That's one word for him I suppose," Marik replied with a grimace, clearly thankful to have gotten out of there. "By the way, thanks for the save back there Chris. I really don't think I could've handled eating tuna."

Ken nodded sympathetically at the expression on the Manaphy hybrid's face at the thought of eating fish. Honestly, it reminded him of the way he felt after Teleportation.

* * *

After enjoying a nice, thankfully fish free, meal at the town restaurant, Ken, Chris, and Marik made their way towards the Pokemon Center to turn in for the night.

"We'll set out for Fuchsia first thing in the morning," Chris yawned, Kyo already snoring away atop his shoulder. "We should be there around noon tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan," Ken agreed, pushing open the double doors as they made their way inside the Pokemon Center.

"Welcome to the Pokemon Center!" Nurse Joy cheerily announced from behind the counter. "Would you like a room for the ni…ahh…ACHOO! Oh, I'm terribly sorry about that!" the woman laughed, pausing and grabbing a Kleenex and smiling apologetically. "I'll get your room ke…ahh…ugh…ACHOO!"

Ken and the others watched in bewilderment as the woman began to go into a sneezing fit, unable to stop for several minutes.

"Um…Nurse Joy?" Chris asked, as the woman's eyes began to water. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Fine," the nurse replied, blowing her nose, her eyes already beginning to look a little red. "Oh, you don't happen to have any…ahh…ACHOO! Ugh…any cat Pokemon, do you?"

"Cat Pokemon?" Ken, Chris, and Marik asked, confused.

The woman nodded, dabbing at her still watering eyes with the Kleenex. "I'm terribly allergic to them!"

The three teens exchanged glances before Chris and Marik's eyes slowly widened in understanding and they turned to stare at Ken.

The Mew hybrid regarded his two friends with confusion for a moment, before it finally dawned on him. "Why are you looking at me for?" the Mew hybrid demanded, tail twitching in irritation. "I'm not a cat!"

"Actually, Mew are cats Ken," Chris nervously chuckled, having a pretty good idea of how his friend was going to react to that.

"For the last time, I'M NOT A POKEMON!" Ken shouted, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration, his tail lighting up and whipping about wildly behind him.

"Lets just try something, shall we?" Marik said with a sly grin, gently leading Ken towards the door. "You stand out there for a few minutes, and then we'll call you to come in, ok?"

Ken stared at the Manaphy hybrid, not sure what he was getting at, before shrugging and heading outside.

Just as expected, Nurse Joy's allergy symptoms soon began to calm down, vanishing completely after only a few minutes of Ken's absence.

"Ok Ken!" Marik called out. "You can come back inside now!"

Still not sure what was going on, Ken then made his way back inside, tail flicking irritably. Mere moments after the Mew hybrid had entered, Nurse Joy relapsed once more into a fit of sneezing, her eyes red and watery.

"Oh, I'm t…terribly sorry," the woman said as she held back a sneeze, "but it seems as though I'm aller…ahh…ahh…ACHOO! Ugh…Allergic to you!"

"Is Mew even _possible_?" Ken asked, unable to believe that he could be the reason Nurse Joy was in such poor condition.

"Well, your fur _is _Mew fur, Ken," Chris pointed out, as the poor nurse sneezed harshly into the tissue she was holding.

Ken ran his fingers through his fur self-consciously, unable to believe that this was actually happening to him. "Are Pokemon allergies common?"

"Just about as common as allergies to cats and dogs, I'm afraid," Nurse Joy sniffed, looking downright miserable. "Some people are allergic to a certain type, or a certain kind of Pokemon, and some are allergic to just a certain species. I'm allergic to ca…ahh…ACHOO! Cat-like Pokemon…"

"So, how do you treat cat Pokemon, then?" Chris asked, as Ken's ears and tail drooped in despair.

Nurse Joy gave a small smile. "Oh, I usually manage just fine! Cat-like Pokemon aren't very common in Kanto, aside from the occasional Meowth or Persian, and as long as they stay inside their Pokéballs, I'm just fi…ACHOO! Just fine!" Nurse Joy assured them, then covered her mouth in embarrassment as she realized what she'd just said. "But of course I'd _never_ think of asking your friend to go inside a Pokéball!"

"I know, Nurse Joy," Ken said, as he slowly inched his way towards the door. "I'll just Mew somewhere else. Mew wouldn't want you to be miserable all night."

Nodding thankfully, though at the same time wishing she could stop him, Nurse Joy watched sadly as the Mew hybrid and his friends left the Pokemon Center, hoping with all her heart that they found a place to stay the night.

"Don't worry Ken," Chris said as they made their way once more through the streets of Celadon, "it says on the map that there's a hotel not too far from here!"

"Oooh! Room service!" Marik squealed, picturing a pretty girl with a tray of food standing outside his room, causing his friends to sigh.

"As long as it doesn't cause any problems, I'm happy to sleep anywhere," Ken sighed, Chris regarding his friend sympathetically.

* * *

"I'm terribly sorry," the woman at the front desk said, shaking her head, "but I'm afraid I can't offer you a room."

"Why not?" Marik whined, not wanting his dream of a beautiful room service girl bringing food to him to get away.

"I'm really very sorry," the woman replied, a bit off put by the blue haired teen clinging to the counter like it was a life preserver. "But there are no Pokemon allowed in the rooms."

Ken's ears perked up as he heard this, his fur bristling as he let out an angry hiss. "FOR THE LAST TIME, I AM NOT A POKEMON!"

"Actually, I was referring to your Bulbasaur," the woman explained, not the least bit disturbed by Ken's outburst. "You're all Trainers, aren't you? Why not go stay at the Pokemon Center?"

"Because Mew poor nurse is ALLERGIC TO ME!" Ken shouted, tears springing to his eyes.

As Chris attempted to comfort the very upset Mew hybrid, the trio left the hotel in search of yet another place to sleep.

"Why don't we just go stay with your uncle at the Celadon Mansion?" Chris said to Marik, once Ken was reasonably calm again.

"Trust me, you don't want to!" Marik explained with a shudder, antenna standing on end. "The man feeds on the souls of the young!"

Chris rolled his eyes. "Just because he ruined a few of your childhood beliefs—"

"A few? Try _all of them_!" Marik huffed, crossing his arms stubbornly. "There is _no way_ I'm going back there tonight!"

"I know a place," Ken muttered, causing his friends to turn to him in surprise, "but it might be just as bad."

* * *

It was fairly dark out as Ken, Chris, and Marik made their way through Celadon, the streets lit only by the glow of buildings such as the Celadon Department Store and the ever-running Game Corner.

Chris and Marik's eyes widened as they followed Ken to the front of the large building, more than a little uneasy. Ken still hadn't told them where they were going, and wherever it was, it didn't sound like a place he wanted to be.

Though Ken had never been there himself, he'd heard his mother describe it to him many times, so had managed to find the building with little difficulty. Now came the hard part. Slowly raising his hand to the old fashioned looking brass knocker, he rapped heavily on the door.

"Honestly, who could that be at this time of night?" a woman's voice asked, sounding almost insulted. Slowly, footsteps could be heard, and the door opened.

A woman stood at the door, her curly hair faded to a shade of gray underneath her purple flowering hat. She wore a matching dress, the deep lavender color giving off an air of sophistication. Delicate white gloves went up to her elbows, as if touching anything with her bare hands was somehow beneath her. She stared out at the trio of teenagers with a scrutinizing expression before her gaze settled on Ken and she slammed the door.

"Grandma, its Ken!" the teen sighed, banging his fist on the door. "Let Mew in!"

Slowly the door opened a crack, the woman pausing to stare at the Mew hybrid as if she couldn't believe her eyes. "Ken? No, that's impossible, he lives in Pallet Town with my daughter Rika, and most certainly doesn't look like _that_."

"I love Mew too, Grandma," Ken groaned, ears flattening against his skull in annoyance. "Look, I promise I'll explain everything, but for now, could Mew _please_ just let us in?"

The woman hesitated for a moment before sighing, allowing Ken and the others to enter. As Ken walked passed his grandmother and into the large spacious living room, he didn't miss the way she looked at him.

* * *

"Ken, look at you," the woman sighed, as the three teens settled onto the large expensive looking sectional in the living room. "You look—"

"Like a Pokemon," Ken interrupted, his tail twitching irritatedly. "Yeah, I know."

Silence followed the exchange, a nervous tension filling the air. Chris and Marik shifted uncomfortably, getting the feeling that Ken and his grandmother didn't really get along that well.

"Well, yes," the woman replied at last, regarding her grandson with obvious distaste. "Much more so than the last time I saw you, I'm afraid. Perhaps you'd care to explain that?"

Ken sighed and proceeded to fill his grandmother in on his journey so far, though he couldn't help but notice that she frowned at him whenever he said something in Pokéspeak as opposed to English.

"And that's Mew we need a place to stay the night," Ken explained at last, watching his grandmother's expression carefully. "Please," he added, looking up at her almost pleadingly. "We have nowhere else Mew go."

The woman regarded him for a moment, during witch time Ken feared she might actually say no, before nodding. "Ken, you are my grandson, and are always welcome here."

"Which is why she slammed the door in his face when we got here," Marik whispered to Chris, who wanted to face palm at the Manaphy hybrid's lack of manners.

The woman frowned and turned to Marik, a look of disapproval on her face. "For your _information_, young man, I didn't recognize Ken earlier with all that…that…"

"Fur?" Ken finished knowingly, to which the woman coughed and nodded, looking rather uncomfortable. "You _can_ say it, Mew know," the Mew hybrid sighed, the awkwardness in the room seeming to intensify. "That's what it _is_, after all. You're not going to offend Mew or anything."

"With all that…hair," the woman finished at last, taking a seat in the large plush chair in front of them.

"Fur," Ken repeated, tail giving an annoyed twitch. "Say it."

"Ken, you're my grandson," his grandmother began with a smile, looking increasingly uncomfortable. "You're…human. You most certainly do _not_ have…fur."

"Grandma, Mew nurse is _allergic _to me," Ken pointed out, looking rather frustrated.

The woman snorted. "Please, she probably contracted some sort of illness. No doubt due to hanging around all those filthy creatures all day, I'm sure!"

Sora whimpered and snuggled deeper into Ken's shoulder, not really sure that she liked this woman.

"My father was a 'filthy creature,'" Ken replied angrily, his fur beginning to bristle. "How about me? Am _I _Mew 'filthy creature' too then?" Ken demanded, right ear twitching like crazy as he let out an angry growl.

"Ok, I think this whole thing is just a big misunderstanding!" Chris chuckled nervously, stepping between Ken and his grandmother in hopes of avoiding a fight.

"All Mew ever did was either deny that I was part Pokemon or look at Mew like I was some kind of freak!" Ken spat, tail poofing out to double its usual size. "Just admit it! Mew hate Pokemon! You hate Pokemon, and Mew can't stand the sight of me!"

Silence followed the Mew hybrid's outburst, Chris taking a seat next to Marik as the both of them regarded the scene with a mixture of shock and confusion. Suddenly, a lot of the Mew hybrid's self-loathing made a lot of sense. How can you feel good about who you are if someone from your own _family_ doesn't accept you?

"I'm only half human," Ken said at last, looking downright tired of the whole thing. "If Mew can't accept that, then we'll leave right now. Mew sure Marik's uncle would be happy to have us over."

Another awkward silence followed, during which time the woman stared at her grandson in shock before finally sighing and getting to her feet. Ken flinched, fully expecting to be turned away for the third time that night, only to blink in confusion as his grandmother walked over and pulled him into a hug.

"Mew?" Ken asked, too stunned to say anything else.

"Ken, you don't really believe that I hate you, do you?" the woman asked softly, gently running a hand over the long fur that used to be Ken's hair.

"Mew," Ken replied with an affirmative nod, still refusing to use anything other than Pokéspeak.

"Well, I don't," the woman continued, as Ken remained rather unresponsive. "Please Ken," she sighed, hugging him tighter. "Won't you talk to me?"

"Mew," Ken replied, turning his head away, a hurt and angry look on his face.

A small smile found its way to the woman's face. "Now Ken," she said in a mock scolding voice, "I know you can say more than that!"

Ken's ears twitched in acknowledgement at this, memories of his grandmother's early visits coming back to him. How she had been very insistent that he learn to speak properly, and how she always rewarded him with a piece of candy for his efforts.

"Maybe…" he said at last, finally turning to face his grandmother.

The woman smiled and pulled out a piece of chocolate from her purse. "Very good Ken! I knew you could do it! Now, who do you love?"

"Chocolate!" Ken replied with a laugh, imitating his response from years ago. Rolling the tiny foil wrapped treat between his fingers, he asked, "You still keep these?"

"In case I ever came to visit," his grandmother replied with a nod. "Although, I suppose you've grown quite a bit since then."

"Mew still like chocolate," Ken replied, causing both of them to laugh.

"I'll be honest Ken," his grandmother sighed, serious once more. "Your Pokemon traits _do _bother me a little…and I know I put a lot of pressure on you to act human." Pausing, she turned to look Ken in the eye, a small sad smile on her face. "But that doesn't mean that I don't love _you_. You're my grandson Ken. I could never not love you."

Ken smiled at this and hugged his grandmother, a purr of gratitude rumbling in his throat. "I love Mew too, Grandma."

Though clearly a little unnerved by the fact that her grandson was now purring like a cat, the woman smiled and nodded. "Now, you said something about needing a room for the night?"

* * *

Ken's grandmother gladly agreed to let the Mew hybrid and his friends stay the night, and even allowed them to each have separate rooms, claiming that there were plenty to spare.

Opening the door and glancing around the room, Ken couldn't help but be a little bit unnerved by the fancy interior, but simply shrugged it off before setting his bag down on the large canopy bead. Kicking off his shoes, the Mew hybrid climbed into bed and pulled the covers over him, Sora snuggling up next to him with a smile.

_Good job today Ken! _Mew Ken giggled, his image appearing in the mirror built into the large dresser overlooking the bed. _You finally admit you're part Pokemon!_

_Yeah well, part Pokemon isn't __**so bad**__ I guess, as long as I don't have to be __**all **__Pokemon, _Ken admitted with a slight smile. _Though I could do with a bit less fur…_

_Ken wants to be BALD! _Mew Ken giggled, toppling over onto the reflected image of the bed in the mirror, consumed in a bought of laughter.

Ken jumped as he felt the bed shake, then glanced at the foot of the bed, eyes widening in shock as a spot of it caved in. Like someone was laying in it… Glancing at the mirror, he spotted his reflection, as usual, as well as the image of Mew Ken laying on the foot of the bed, consumed in playful laughter.

"Mew Ken?" Ken asked, slowly reaching out his hand towards the spot where his Pokemon half was apparently sitting. "How are you doing that?"

_Dunno, _Mew Ken replied with a shrug, the bed rippling as he rolled over to address Ken more properly. _I can feel the bed and everything, its really neat Ken! _

"Well, stop it!" Ken replied, his head beginning to feel a little funny. It almost felt like it was…pulling apart… "Seriously Mew Ken, I'm starting to feel weird."

The image in the mirror vanished along with the strange indentation in the bed, Ken sighing in relief as the weird feeling in his head went away.

_Sorry Ken, I didn't mean to…It just gets boring hanging around inside your head all the time is all…_

Ken's tail gave a sudden nervous jump, the events of Saffron City coming to mind. _Mew Ken?_

_Yeah?_

_We…we're not going to end up like Sabrina, are we? _

_Not if we pull ourselves together in time! _Mew Ken giggled, his playful laughter echoing eerily throughout Ken's head. _Otherwise…yep!_

_Great…_Ken sighed, flopping onto his back in frustration.

_Hey, don't worry, Ken! _Mew Ken cheerfully replied, the image of his smiling face flickering briefly across Ken's mind. _We'll just take it one step at a time! There's no reason to worry about it yet!_

_Yeah, I guess you're right,_ the Mew hybrid agreed, snuggling underneath the covers, his body curling into a ball automatically. _Mind explaining why I've been sleeping like a cat sense I left Vermillion? I certainly don't mean to!_

_Ken, we __**are**__ a cat! _Mew Ken giggled, much to his human half's annoyance.

_Whatever, _Ken replied, choosing to ignore it like he had been. _Good night._

_Nighty-night, Ken! Don't let the bedbugs bite!_

_Yeah, _Ken chuckled, his eyes closing.

A few minutes passed before Mew Ken spoke up again. _You should call Mommy tomorrow, Ken. I'm sure she misses you!_

_You're right, _the Mew hybrid agreed, immediately feeling guilty. _I've been so wrapped up in my own problems lately, I keep forgetting…_

A few more minutes passed, and then, _Ken, can we sleep with the new Poké Doll? Please?_

_Sure, _Ken replied with a yawn, digging the plush toy out of his bag and hugging it in his arms.

_Thanks Ken._

Several more minutes passed, before Mew Ken spoke yet again. _Ken, I'm thirsty._

_All right, _Ken groaned tiredly, though he had to admit, he was thirsty too.

Climbing out of bed, Ken headed into the large in room bathroom, filled the cup there with water, and took a drink before climbing back into bed.

_…_

_…_

_…_

_Ken?_

_WHAT? _the Mew hybrid growled, just wanting to get some sleep.

_We have to go to the bathroom._

_…I know, _Ken sighed, getting up and making his way reluctantly towards the bathroom for the second time that night, his Pokemon half giggling in his ear.

* * *

Chris opened the door to one of the many guestrooms and gently set his bag down before letting out a long whistle. The Regigigas hybrid had been wondering how Ken's mother had managed to support him while still remaining a stay at home mom, and now, glancing at the overly extravagant bedroom, he was beginning to understand how she did it.

Taking a step towards the large bed, Chris paused, eyes widening when he caught sight of the ceiling. A chandelier. There was a _chandelier _in the _bedroom! _Glancing around, Chris took in the sight of the fancy wardrobe, the fancy bathroom, and the fancy fireplace, before chuckling and shaking his head.

"Ken, I think your grandmother cares more about you than you'll ever know!"

* * *

As Marik tossed his bag onto the bedroom floor, the zipper came open a bit and a Pokéball rolled out, a note attached to it with tape. Tilting his head to the side in confusion and curiosity, Marik picked up the Pokéball and note and began reading.

_Dear Marik,_

_I know that you don't really have anyone to meet and that you just don't feel like hanging around your crazy old uncle when you could be spending time with your friends. Don't worry, I'm not upset, I know how things were at your age. After all, I know everything! I also hope you realize that I was only kidding about the tuna casserole, but since you take everything so seriously, I thought I'd tell you that it was just a joke!_

_At this point, you're probably wondering about the Pokéball I sent you. Of course you are! I know I would be! Well, let's just say that it's a Pokémon you've been wanting for a long time now. _

_Marik, I know that we don't always get along that well, but I'd like to believe that it's because we are so very much alike. Never forget that the people who love us are the ones who annoy us the most, and I'm no exception!_

_Take care Marik, and wherever life takes you, always remember that I love you._

_Uncle Marty_

Marik stared at the letter in surprise for a moment before turning to the Pokéball in his hand. Tossing the red and white sphere, his eyes widened in surprise when an Eevee materialized in front of him, tilting her head to the side curiously.

Climbing into bed, his new Eevee settling in next to him, Marik picked up his Pokénav and began writing up a text, a warm smile finding its way to his face. Moments later, the text was sent, and the Manaphy hybrid rolled over to go to sleep.

Back in the Celadon Mansion, a man sat up in bed in order to read an incoming text from his Pokénav, a small genuine smile coming to his face as he saw what it said.

_Thank you Uncle, I love you too._

_Marik _

* * *

"Come see what I got! Come see what I got! Come see what I goooot!" Marik announced in a sing-song voice the next morning, holding his confused looking Eevee above his head for everyone to see.

"An Eevee?" Chris asked, eyes widening in surprise. Eevee were really rare, and here Marik was with one out of seemingly nowhere.

The Manaphy hybrid nodded, still grinning ear to ear. "I named her Aqua! My uncle gave her to me! Isn't she _ADORABLE_?"

Chris nodded, though it looked like the tiny Pokemon was a little unnerved about being held so high up, her hind legs peddling the air nervously. However, before he could even voice his opinion, Marik had already dashed down the hall towards Ken's room.

"Ken, look what I got!" Marik announced cheerfully, bursting into the Mew hybrid's room and holding up his new Eevee triumphantly.

Ken turned in his friend's direction, an irritated frown on his face, before turning once more to the Pokégear in his hand. "Ok I gotta go now. I'll talk to you again soon, I promise. Love you too, Mom. Bye." The Pokégear beeped and he clicked it shut before turning back to Marik, eyes widening when he saw what it was the Manaphy hybrid was so excited about. "You got an Eevee?"

The teen nodded, a huge smile on his face. "My uncle gave her to me! Her name is Aqua, and she's super cute and fluffy, and I'm going to take _really good_ care of her, and—"

"Scare her to death?" Ken asked dryly.

"And scare her to death—wait, what?" Marik asked, glancing down at the little Pokemon in his arms, only to notice that she was now squirming desperately in his hands, eyes wide with fright. "Oh Aqua, I'm so sorry!" the Manaphy hybrid cried, cradling her in his arms and finally giving her some proper support instead of dangling her in the air like a rag doll. "I promise to be more careful from now on!"

"And now you're screaming in her ears," Ken sighed, shaking his head.

The teen blinked and glanced down at Aqua, the tiny Eevee folding her sensitive ears back in response to her Trainer shouting inches from her head.

"…Better?" Marik asked, voice barely above a whisper.

The Eevee nodded, reaching up and licking him lightly on the cheek.

Ken shook his head at this, trying not to laugh. Sometimes, the Manaphy hybrid could be a bit _too _enthusiastic. "Well, I guess we'd better get a move on," the Mew hybrid said, picking up his bag and swinging it over his shoulder. "Chris said we should be able to make it to Fuchsia City by noon, and the sooner I forget the move Transform, the better."

"I still think you're making a big mistake," Marik sighed as he followed after his friend, Aqua seating herself on his shoulder. "Transform is such a useful move!"

"A move that makes me more like a Pokemon every time I use it, yeah, that's useful all right," Ken sarcastically replied, rolling his eyes. "If Heart Swap was making you more like a Manaphy, would _you _want to use it?"

"…How much more like a Manaphy?" Marik asked after a moments thought, looking rather nervous.

"Blue skin," Ken replied, taking note of his friends displeased expression.

"Blue skin?" Marik echoed, looking increasingly uncomfortable.

"And bald."

"BALD?!" Marik screamed, reaching his hands up to grab his hair. "Oh, heck no! That is where I draw the line! And how do you know I'd be bald anyway?"

"Do Manaphy have hair?" Ken asked, a knowing look on his face.

"No…"

The Mew hybrid grinned. "My point exactly."

"Ok, so I wouldn't like it," Marik admitted, not missing Ken's triumphant grin, "but this is _completely _different! Mew is one of only two Pokemon species in the entire _world_ that can learn Transform!"

"And how many Pokemon can learn Heart Swap?" Ken countered.

"One," Marik replied, finally sighing in defeat. "I don't know Ken, it just seems like one of those moves you shouldn't forget, you know?" Marik explained, a thoughtful look on his face. "If Heart Swap was turning me into a Pokemon, I wouldn't like it, but I'd still keep it. After all, you never know when something like that'll come in handy!" Marik replied with a grin.

"I guess. It did help me out on the SS Anne and in Mt. Moon," Ken admitted. "I guess it could be useful in an emergency."

"That's the spirit, Ken!" Marik laughed, giving his friend a friendly thump on the back. "After all, sometimes its better to be blue than to be black and blue!"

"Have you used that move to get out of trouble before?" Ken asked knowingly, recalling his first meeting with the Manaphy hybrid.

"Lots of times! Hey, what can I say? It's a defense mechanism!" Marik replied with a shrug.

"Did any of these instances involve a girl?" Ken sighed, having a feeling he knew what the answer would be.

"…A few of them," Marik admitted, looking rather embarrassed. "Hey, in my defense, I didn't know she had a boyfriend!"

Shaking his head, Ken continued down the stairs, the things Marik had said still playing on his mind. Would he really be making a terrible mistake by choosing to forget Transform? And even more importantly, would he even be _able_ to?

"Morning Ken," Chris said, as the Mew hybrid made his way down the stairs. "You sleep well?"

"Fantastic," Ken purred, stretching his arms above his head. After sleeping on the ground for the past few days, it was wonderful to be able to sleep in a real bed once more.

The Regigigas hybrid smiled. "I'll bet. Anyway, according to the map, we should be able to get to Fuchsia City around noon if we leave early enough."

"Provided he read the map right this time," Marik whispered to Ken, causing them both to laugh.

"Ha ha, very funny guys," Chris sighed, shaking his head good-naturedly. "I'm not really _that bad_, am I?"

"Yes," Ken and Marik replied in unison, without the slightest hesitation.

"Ok, ok, point taken!" Chris laughed, folding up the map and shoving it into his backpack. "Good news is, it's pretty much a straight shot from here to Fuchsia, so I don't think we're in any danger of getting _too_ lost!"

"We hope," Marik whispered, causing Ken to laugh and Chris to roll his eyes.

"You're leaving already?" Ken's grandmother asked, a look of surprise on her face.

"I'm sorry Grandma," Ken sighed, feeling rather guilty, "but Mew need to get to Fuchsia as soon as possible. There's Mew man there who can help me forget the move Transform—"

"Which I still say is a mistake," Marik interrupted, earning a glare from Ken.

"-which is what's causing Mew to turn into a Pokemon," Ken finished, hoping that his grandmother would understand.

The woman was silent for a moment before a small smile came to her face. "Well, at least stay for breakfast. I've already prepared a lovely meal for you and your friends, and there's no sense in letting it go to waste!"

"Sure thing Grandma," Ken replied with a grateful smile. "Thank you!"

"You're very welcome, Ken," the woman replied warmly. Turning to address the group of teenagers, she said, "Please follow me to the dinning hall."

"Dinning hall?" Ken, Chris, and Marik echoed, exchanging glances.

"Yes, dinning hall," the woman repeated, completely unaware of why the three teens looked so surprised. "Hurry now, before it gets cold!"

Somehow, Ken had a feeling that he wasn't in for a nice normal meal…

* * *

The dinning hall truly lived up to its name. No sooner had the three of them entered, Marik immediately took a seat at the abnormally long table, exclaiming gleefully that he'd always wanted to sit at "One of those really big tables rich people own where you have to yell!" and, quite honestly, Ken could see his point. The table looked long enough to comfortably sit at least thirty people and was decorated with various candles and a white tablecloth. Glancing down at his silver wear, which included at least four different forks alone, certainly wasn't making the Mew hybrid feel any more at ease.

"Chris," Ken whispered, "which fork do you use for omelets?"

"Beats me," the Regigigas hybrid replied with a shrug, looking equally lost. "This isn't exactly my strong suit…"

"This looks _GREAT!_" Marik exclaimed, grabbing a fork at random and shoveling the food into his mouth.

"Oh, you seem to have gotten your forks confused," Ken's grandmother explained with a smile. "That's the salad fork. The fork you're looking for is over there."

Marik paused mid chew to glance at the fork the woman was pointing at, then back at the fork he was using before shrugging and announcing, "Looks the same to me!" scattering bits of egg from his mouth in the process, causing the woman to regard him with apparent disgust at his lack of table manners.

Shrugging and trying not to laugh, Ken and Chris grabbed a fork, deciding that, at the very least, they had better table manners than a certain Manaphy hybrid.

After breakfast, Ken and the others said their goodbyes and thanks to Ken's grandmother, who smiled and replied that they were always welcome anytime, before setting off once more.

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN'T GO THROUGH?!"

"Just what I said kid," the guard sighed, shaking his head as if he had dealt with this whole thing a hundred times before. "This is _Cycling_ Road. No pedestrians aloud. So either find a different route or come back with a bike."

"I'm sure it's for our own safety, Ken," Chris explained as the three friends left the gatehouse that led to Cycling Road.

"I guess," the Mew hybrid grumbled, looking understandably disappointed.

"Hey, don't worry!" Chris laughed, giving his friend a friendly pat on the shoulder. "The Chairman of the Pokemon Fan Club gave you a Bike Voucher back in Vermillion City, remember? Arch and I can just Teleport over to Cerulean and redeem it for you, and then we'll have a free bike! One of us just has to cycle to Fuchsia, then Arch or Xellos can Teleport the rest of us over! See? No problem!"

"That's a great idea Chris," Ken sighed, unable to believe his bad luck, "except I don't _have _the Bike Voucher anymore. I mailed it to Misty since Zoey wreaked her bike."

"Oh…" Chris muttered, recalling Ken's sudden unexplained visit to the post office back in Vermillion City. "That's…unfortunate."

"_Unfortunate?_ Chris, this means that we have to find another route to get to Fuchsia City!"

"No we don't!" Marik announced happily, holding up a poster with a triumphant grin on his face. "It says right here that they're holding a Pokemon Race down Cycling Road one week from now, and the winner gets a set of Elemental Stones!"

Ken and Chris exchanged glances. This _did_ seem to be just what they were looking for…

"So it goes all the way to Fuchsia?" Chris asked, trying to make sure they ended up where they wanted to be.

The Manaphy hybrid grinned. "Yep! The finish line is right outside the gate!"

Hearing this, Ken's ears perked up, but he didn't want to get his hopes up just yet. "Just what is a 'Pokemon Race' anyway?"

"Oh, its easy!" Marik replied, barely able to contain his excitement. "The contestants ride a Pokemon from here to Fuchsia, either on their own or in teams of two, and the first Pokemon to make it to the finish line wins! Isn't this great? I'll be able to evolve Aqua into a Vaporeon!" The little Eevee's ears perked up at this, and she glanced warily at her Trainer. "Oh! Don't worry Aqua, I didn't mean right away! Its just nice to have the option open, that's all!" Aqua visibly relaxed, but still looked a little uncertain. "Anyway, that's about it! See? Easy as pie!"

"I think you're forgetting something Marik," Ken sighed, noticing the obvious flaw in the plan.

Marik blinked in confusion. "Really? What's that?"

"We have Sora, a Bulbasaur; Shade, a Gyarados; Zoey, a Clefairy; Xellos, an Abra; Kyo, a Larvitar; Arch, a Ralts; Jerry, a Quilava; Sapphire, a Mudkip; and Aqua, an Eevee. Now think about it for a minute; How many of those Pokemon I just listed are capable of carrying a human?"

Marik stood in stunned silence, the information finally sinking in. "One?"

"Exactly. And how many of us are there?"

"Three?"

"We can't _all_ ride on Shade," Ken pointed out, causing the Manaphy hybrid to frown.

"Well, we've got a week," Chris pointed out, an equally concerned look on his face. "I'm sure we'll figure something out. In the mean time, where are we going to stay?"

* * *

Ken's grandmother was just sitting down for tea, when she heard a knock on the door. "Now who in the world could that be?" she sighed, putting down her cup and making her way to the door. "I swear, people have the worst sense of timing!" Opening the door, her eyes widened in shock as she caught sight of Ken and his friends standing there, looking rather embarrassed.

"Hey Grandma! Mew said we welcome here anytime…right?" the Mew hybrid asked cheerily, smiling so broadly that it showed off his fangs.

* * *

Having spent the last several days training, and after a brief mix-up involving the Fighting Dojo, Red now found himself standing outside the Saffron Gym, a determined look on his face.

"Ready Pika?" Red asked, glancing down at the small yellow Pokemon beside him.

"Chu Pika!" the mouse replied, his cheeks sparking eagerly.

The boy laughed, and together, the two of them made their way inside the Saffron City Gym.

"Welcome," Sabrina said as the boy entered, standing up from her seat, a small smile on her face. "I've been awaiting your arrival."

"Same here!" Red replied, Pika already adopting a battle stance.

The woman smiled at the Pikachu's eagerness, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "If you're anything like your friend Blue, I'm sure that it will be a wonderful match!"

"Blue was here?" Red asked, Pika's ears drooping in obvious disappointment.

"About two days ago. I _did_ extend the battle invitation to both of you, you know," Sabrina replied with an amused smile.

"Well, we'll just have to win that badge too then!" the boy announced, Pika jumping up and down in agreement.

"As I'd hoped. However, there is something else that needs attending to…"

Footsteps approached, and Red and Pika watched as a young man of around seventeen entered the battlefield, an eager smile on his face. "Hello Red, its good to see you again. I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Will, and I'm honored to be your opponent," the purple haired teen explained, pausing briefly to adjust his mask. "Sabrina has a lot of faith in you, you know."

"Of course we remember you!" Red laughed, causing Will to blush. "Right Pika?"

"The masks kinda hard to forget!" the Electric Mouse replied with a nod, causing Will to chuckle.

"It certainly makes an impression!" Will agreed, smiling as he ran his fingers across the item in question. "Honestly, I kinda like it!" Turning to Red, he pulled out a Pokéball. "Well, whenever you're ready!"

"The battle will be one Pokemon each, with both sides being healed afterwards," Sabrina explained, as the two Trainers got into position. "If you beat Will, I want to make sure that I face you at your best," the woman explained, the boy nodding his unspoken appreciation.

"Let's go, Elizabeth!" Will announced, tossing the Pokéball and releasing his Natu.

"Ready to go Pika?" Red asked his friend.

"Heck yeah!" Pika laughed, dashing onto the field without hesitation, his cheeks sparking eagerly.

"Begin," Sabrina said simply, sitting back down in order to watch the battle.

Pika took off like a rocket the moment the signal was given, slamming into Elizabeth with a powerful Quick Attack and leaving Will momentarily stunned by the unexpected move. His Natu rolled across the ground before righting herself, looking more determined than ever.

"Great job Pika!" Red laughed, his Pokemon looking eager for more. "Now try Thunderbolt!"

"Psychic," Will instructed calmly, his Pokemon already beginning to glow.

Pika's body tensed as he let off a large bolt of electricity, the air crackling as the beam of energy sped towards the tiny bird, only to spin around at the last second and fly back at him.

"What the heck?!" Pika demanded, jumping out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit by his own attack.

"I guess a full on attack isn't going to work here," Red sighed, slightly disappointed that his first move didn't go as smoothly as he'd hoped. "Ok then, battle it with speed!"

Pika dashed off once more, a stream of light trailing behind him, and began running circles around Elizabeth, the Natu not looking the least bit concerned by the pair's efforts. Will continued to regard the scene with a calm smile. Putting on an extra burst of speed, Pika leaped high into the air and prepared to deliver a Slam attack.

"Psychic," Will said, barely audible enough for Red to hear him.

The rodent's tail came down, only to stop inches from his intended target. Pika's eyes widened in surprise as he was lifted up into the air and spun around like some sort of puppet on strings.

"Fight back Pika!" Red called out desperately, not sure what to do.

"Don't you think I'm trying?" the Pikachu spat, growing dizzy from all the spinning.

Although things weren't going well for Red, Will appeared ecstatic, eager to finally show Sabrina that he had what it took to be a great Psychic Trainer. "Now, Macarena!"

"Huh?" Red asked, not sure how in the world that was meant to be a battle command.

The glow around Elizabeth intensified as she slammed Pika forcefully into the stadium, causing Red to cry out in concern. Slowly, the mouse got back up again…and began to do the Macarena?

"Uh, Pika, this isn't time to dance!" Red called out, utterly confused by what was going on.

"He isn't dancing, Elizabeth is controlling his body with Psychic," Will explained with a smile, as he too began to dance. "Won't you join us Red? Everybody Macarena!"

_Well Will, you certainly have a…unique battling style, _Sabrina thought to herself in amusement, as the teen continued to dance. _Still, that's not necessarily a bad thing…_

"Come on, snap out of it Pika!" Red called out, as his Pokemon continued to dance helplessly, his body no longer under his control.

"You know what they say Red," Will laughed as he continued to show off his dance moves, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

The boy gritted his teeth, knowing that Pika would eventually tire from repeated dancing, yet not sure how to get out of the situation. The Pokemon couldn't move…

"Red, do something!" Pika cried, his face red with embarrassment. "We can't lose like this!

_Wait a minute! If Pika can still speak, then that means that not __**everything**__ is under Will's control. _"Pika, use Discharge!" Red cried out triumphantly, causing Will to pause in his dancing and regard his opponent with surprise.

Pika grinned, his body dancing with millions of sparks before releasing them all in an enormous flare of electricity, the Trainers on both sides having to jump aside to avoid being hit. Too preoccupied with making the rodent dance, Elizabeth was struck hard by Pika's Discharge attack, her body lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"Oh no!" Will cried, as the tiny bird flopped to the ground before slowly struggling to her feet, her body sparking with residual electricity. "Elizabeth, are you ok?"

"Will…I can't move…" Elizabeth replied, hundreds of sparks dancing across her feathers.

"All right! Paralysis!" Red cheered, thankful that something was finally going their way, only to turn in surprise as Pika let out a cry, his body too having come alive with sparks.

"Synchronize," Will explained in answer to the boy's startled expression. "Looks like your lucky break wasn't so lucky."

"Maybe," Red replied with a smile, causing Will's eyes to widen in surprise, "but you know what they say, right Will? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

"Huh?" Will asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion, Elizabeth and Pika looking equally puzzled.

"Pika, dance with Elizabeth!"

Pausing long enough to give his Trainer a confused stare, the rodent dashed forward, using Quick Attack to gather speed, before grabbing the bird's wings and making her his dance partner. It was little more than a slow waltz due to the paralysis of the two participants, and both Pokemon found themselves unable to move several times, but, oddly, it was beautiful.

…_Or maybe it's just the younger generation that has weird ideas? _Sabrina wondered, at a complete loss for what was going on.

The two Pokemon continued to dance for several minutes, before Red gave a triumphant grin. "Now Pika! Thunderbolt!"

_Elizabeth can't avoid that, not at this close range! _Will noted, eyes widening in realization. _So that's what he's been planning! To overcome the paralysis by getting in close and delivering the finishing blow!_

An enormous bolt of electricity rose up from the bodies of the two dancers, the energy crackling as if to signal the finale of some great duet. Finally, the attack ceased, Elizabeth falling like the drop of a curtain.

Will was silent for a moment before recalling his fallen friend to her Pokéball, a small smile on his face. "Well done Red! You've not only made this battle highly enjoyable, but beautiful as well! Now I know I'm a bit eccentric, but I can't be the only one who thought that Pika and Elizabeth's waltz was poetry in motion! …Although I can't say I enjoyed the outcome…"

"Uh…thank you?" Red replied uncertainly, unsure of why Will was making such a big deal about their rather unorthodox battle.

"Please, the pleasure's all mine!" Will replied with a wave of his hand, big smile still on his face. "Thank you so much for letting me experience such a wonderful battle! Hmmm…maybe I should design a gym in the form of a dance floor? A music studio? Hmm…something music themed. Anyway, the possibilities are _endless_!"

"Will is rather…passionate," Sabrina chuckled, as she began to use her psychic powers to heal the two exhausted Pokemon. "Anyway, I hope you're ready for our battle. I have already foreseen the outcome, but in the end, the result is really up to you."

"I'm ready!" Red replied, eyes shinning with determination.

"Heck yeah!" Pika agreed, cheeks sparking eagerly.

Sabrina smiled, her eyes beginning to glow with psychic energy. "Well then, time for us to play."

* * *

Author's Note: Well, that's chapter forty-nine, sorry about it taking so long for me to update. Also, I know a lot of you have been hoping for Ken to get an Eevee, specifically a female one, but hopefully everybody's ok with Marik getting one instead. :)

For those of you who've played Red/Blue/Yellow or Fire Red/Leaf Green, you may recall visiting the Celadon Mansion to get the Eevee that Aqua is based on, only to run into Gamefreak, and listening to them to talk about the very game you were playing. It was this event that inspired this chapters little creator cameo.

Anyway, big things happening next chapter, so I hope you're all looking forward to that! Thanks for your patience and support, everybody! :)


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